


Holding On To Hope

by Janie94



Series: The Fault In Our Stars [1]
Category: Football RPF, Real Person Fiction
Genre: Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Animal Instincts, Blow Jobs, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Hand Jobs, M/M, Mating Bond, Murder Mystery, Pack Dynamics, True Mates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2018-10-07 02:44:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10350660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janie94/pseuds/Janie94
Summary: Robert is the strong leader of a pack of shifters, the RedMountain Leopards, for several years now. But with time he has started to shut himself off, his human side slowly fading away and the solitary panther becoming stronger and stronger. Only his pack and their tentative alliance with the BloodRiver Wolves keeps Robert from losing his humanity altogether. Will the love of a very special shifter be able to save him before it is too late?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Blue_Night](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Night/gifts), [mariothellama](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariothellama/gifts), [pinkquill22](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkquill22/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Germania](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8378845) by [Blue_Night](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Night/pseuds/Blue_Night). 
  * Inspired by [The Other Race](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9629777) by [Blue_Night](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Night/pseuds/Blue_Night). 



> My dear Blue_Night, this is my alternative birthday present for you. Remember when you started 'Germania' and I told you I wanted to write a shapeshifter story with Robert as a black panther? Well, this one here is it and I would have perhaps never found the courage to write it if it weren't for your constant support. I hope you will enjoy it despite the main couple being Müllendowski and there being no appearance of our beloved Marco. :**
> 
> My dear mariothellama, thank you for reassuring me about 'Keep The Door Open' and encouraging me to write and post both stories. You are a wonderful friend (at least I hope I can call you that) and your kindness never fails to surprise me. :*
> 
> My dear pinkquill22, I know you only started to read my stories recently, but your lovely comments and your enthusiasm were infectious. You liked my A/B/O stories a lot and even though this technically isn't one, I still have the feeling you might like it as well. :*
> 
> Initially I wanted to write a slightly different story, but the events in this one especially regarding Robert's character are just too important to be only mentioned later on, so I wrote this story first and the there will be a second part settled a year later containing the original idea. (I will also leave some doors open for spin-offs with other characters in case somebody is interested.)
> 
> An important note: The words Alpha, Beta and Omega are used in this story though in a completely different context, so this is NOT an A/B/O story. Instead the packs have ranks:  
> Alpha = leader of the pack  
> Beta = second in command  
> Guardians = protectors of the pack and their Alpha, every pack usually has three Guardians  
> Healer = a shifter with the ability to heal,  
> Omega = the center of the pack and therefore both the strength and the weakness of the whole pack, they are very rare and most packs have none

 

 

**The Fault in Our Stars – Holding On To Hope  
**

 

  
**Chapter 1**

 

The sun hadn't even set yet when Robert already exited his office in a hurry. His head was hurting from the tiring business talks he had had to endure for the past five hours; his precious time wasted as there had been no presentable outcome. Naturally Robert was quite annoyed to put it mildly.

Within half an hour he had managed to make it out of the city and back to his house at the edge of the forest, aware that he was being followed. He didn't need to concentrate on their mental link to know who it was, his heightened sense of smell had already picked up on the familiar scent of his packmate who wasn't even trying to hide his presence. Robert ignored him, not caring whether the other man would follow him or not. Instead he jogged up the stairs to his front door, threw his shoulder bag into the hallway and got into his bedroom. He could hear the sound of human feet pacing on his front porch and he was tempted to ignore the other man for a while longer, but he knew there would be worried glances and perhaps even some questions later. So with a sigh Robert walked towards the glass door leading to his rather huge balcony and raised his voice a bit, so the other man knew that Robert has noticed him.

“You can come in, Mats.”

He didn't wait for a reply and walked back into his bedroom to undress himself. After a minute Mats came in through the door as well, sitting down on the mattress of Robert's bed to watch him. “This has become a daily routine by now, hasn't it?”

“Can't you leave me alone for at least one hour?” Robert retorted annoyed, but of course Mats didn't let go so easily.

“I'm just worried about you. You have always been more at one with your animal than anyone I have ever seen, but this is crossing a line. Nowadays you can barely make it through the day without shifting at least once. That's not normal.”

Robert suppressed a growl, knowing that Mats only meant well. “I don't know how to explain it. I just feel like life is suffocating me and when I shift, I can be free and leave all of those things behind.”

Mats regarded him closely before standing up and reaching out for Robert's body, pulling him into a tight embrace. Robert's human half wanted to lean in and return the comforting touch, but the panther inside of him hissed at the unexpected touch.

It didn't go unnoticed.

“Robert, we are packmates. We have skin privileges yet you feel uncomfortable at my touch. Something is wrong with you.”

Robert took a step back, away from Mats. “Let's just go hunting together, alright? I will feel better afterwards just like I always do.”

Mats sighed heavily but gave in then. “Fine.” Carefully he shrugged out his shirt as well while Robert was folding his own clothes neatly and putting them onto the chair next to the bed. He was naked now as he stepped out onto his balcony and he took a moment to inhale the fresh air of the upcoming summer night before allowing the panther to take over.

The shift into his feline form only took a split second, a short moment where he felt like his whole body was melting, pain and pleasure intermingling as the human retreated to the back of his mind and the panther came to the surface.

When the shift was over, Robert took a look back over his shoulder and looked up at the tall man that had finally joined him on the balcony. Mats returned his gaze softly before reaching out to pet Robert's head, making the panther duck away from his touch and hiss disapprovingly. Mats' eyes softened even further when he dropped his hand back to his side. “Robert, you are our Alpha. You can't afford to lose the connection to our pack. _We_ can't afford it.”

He didn't wait for a reply but shifted as well, the human body disappearing in a golden light only to reveal another black panther, slightly larger than Robert was himself. Instantly their minds had locked, perks of being in a pack Robert thought to himself often times.

 _Can I touch you now, Alpha?,_ Mats asked, not caring at all how needy he sounded. And it was the fact that Mats – Robert's Beta and one of the strongest males in their packs – was openly asking for his touch that Robert realized that the other man was starved for the approval of his leader, just like the whole pack had to be.

Robert looked at the other male apologetically before taking a step forward.

Mats' chocolate brown eyes had lost nothing of their softness, clearly ready to accept either reaction yet there was visible relief when Robert pushed his face against the other man's shoulder, rubbing it against the soft black fur in a soothing manner. Mats started to purr and he did the same, pressing himself against Robert tightly.

The Alpha let him do so for a few long moments, feeling their mental connection brimming with warmth and longing for more on Mats' part. He tried not to think about it too closely, after all shapeshifters needed a lot of touching from their families, mates and their pack to survive. But they were both unmated and Robert was the strong Alpha of the pack, so it was not hard to guess which kind of longing Mats was feeling...

Robert took a step back from the other panther. _I thought we wanted to go hunting together?_

He didn’t wait for a reply when he jumped onto the tree next to the balcony and climbed down gracefully. There was no sound when his paws landed on the ground and he headed for the trees of the forest behind the house, Mats following him like he always did. The pack usually enjoyed going hunting together, the shared excitement of a kill intensifying the joy and most importantly, satisfying their need to feel each other physically. The pack had noticed months ago that Robert was secluding himself, long before he became aware of it himself and though they respected his wish, there was always somebody of them who would visit him, ensuring that he had contact with his packmates at least once a day. So Robert wasn’t surprised that Mats was following him now.

They didn’t talk through their link while they were searching for an appropriate prey that would be enough to feed them both, but Robert could still feel Mats’ desire to open the channel and connect with him. He couldn’t do that, not yet as he needed his privacy after a straining day at work during which he had been forced to keep the link open for Manu and Mats the whole time so that they could communicate silently during the conference with their business partner.

The panther shook himself, clearly unhappy with all the human problems on his mind. He slowed down a bit, enabling the other male to catch up with him and when Mats had reached his side, Robert bumped shoulders with him, hoping that the physical touch would make up for Robert rejecting the mental link.

Mats relaxed a bit and he shot Robert a grateful look before they got distracted by the smell of another animal. Robert raised his head to look at the squirrel sitting on the branch above them and eyeing them suspiciously.

Mats let out a disapproving snort and Robert had to agree, this wouldn’t be more than an appetizer for a panther, not to mention for two.

They resumed walking with Robert leading them into the direction of the river that marked the border of their territory. It was there that Robert could pick up on the scent of another shifter – four to be more precise – and he felt his mouth twitching in amusement. This was exactly what he needed right now, probably a lot more satisfying than a simple hunt could ever be.

Robert jumped into the water, suppressing a much too human-like chuckle when Mats flinched at the droplets of water hitting him. Robert waded through the cold water, grateful that the river wasn’t that big and he could swim against the stream with ease.

Mats mewled, clearly irritated by Robert’s eagerness to enter the territory of the BloodRiver Wolves. This time Robert allowed the link and instantly Mats was shouting at him.

_Robert, what the hell are you doing?_

Robert had reached the other shore by now. _Getting rid of too much energy._ He turned back to Mats with a challenging look. _Don’t tell me one of the three Guardians of the RedMountain Leopards is afraid of entering another pack’s territory?_

Mats growled low in his throat, shifting his weight from one side to the other as he contemplated what to do. When Robert made a move to turn away and resume walking deeper into the forest, Mats finally jumped into the water as well, his whiskers quivering in annoyance.

_This is a really bad idea. If one of the dogs finds us here, we are done for._

Robert began to run faster, his paws making no sound as he dashed through the foreign territory with Mats on his heels.

 _First of all they are wolves, not dogs. And second I know what I'm doing,_ Robert stated patiently. _I'm neither putting our pack nor us into danger. I've been here a few times already and they always let me go again._

Mats let out a surprised growl. _Why would they do that? The dogs have never been one of the more docile packs._

So this was it, the moment of truth. Robert slowed down a bit, a part of him worried how his Beta would take the news. But there was no turning back now and Robert needed somebody to finally find out about his secret.  
_I have privileges with their Alpha._

Mats frowned at his cryptic statement, but before he could ask for details via their mental link, a new smell filled the air and barely five seconds later four members of the BloodRiver Wolves appeared in front of them.

Mats froze, a warning hiss escaping him as he took in the four wolves while Robert was filled with excitement. He stepped forward confidently, ignoring the curious glances of the three Guardians Łukasz, Grzegorz and Kamil, his sole attention on the large wolf with the sand-colored fur and bright blue eyes staring back at him.

The Alpha of the BloodRiver Wolves.

_Hello, Kuba._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the second chapter of this story. Thank you for the positive feedback to the first one, I hope you will like this one just as much. I will try to update every weekend. :)

 

 

**Chapter 2**

 

For a few long moments there was loaded silence, then Jakub's body lost some of its tension and the large wolf trotted closer.

_You're early, Lewy._

Before Robert could ponder on how to phrase his answer, his attention was drawn to the panther beside him who was growling low, his tail whipping from one side to the other and clear anger in his eyes as he stared at Robert.  
_You linked with him? Why?_

Robert understood that Mats was upset with him for granting Jakub this privilege when he had tried to deny it his own packmate earlier. But Robert hadn't had much of a choice when he had first connected with Jakub several months ago, it had been the only way they could communicate reasonably in their animal forms. Mainly because Robert's panther and Jakub's wolf didn't like each other all that much and unlike their human counterparts they were both far too stubborn to talk with each other. Which didn't mean that the two men got along much better than the animals, Robert and Jakub had barely been around each other in their human forms, only when official meetings or business talks had made it necessary. They both felt much safer meeting each other as animals which was rather ironic actually...

_I needed to. It was the only way to make Kuba understand why I came to him the very first time._

Mats frowned, eyes darting between the two Alphas questioningly. Usually the members of different packs tended to avoid each other and it must come as quite a shock to him that the two Alphas were trusting each other enough to form the link.

Not that either of them would ever admit that.

Robert took a step to the side and nudged the other panther's shoulder, soothing his worries with the touch. _Just stay here with the other Guardians. Kuba and I won't be gone for long._

Mats turned to him with a frown. _Where are you going then? I'd prefer to come with you than staying behind with three dogs._

_No, Mats. You can't come with us and if you think about it, you will know why._

He could see the exact moment when Mats finally realized why exactly they were here.

The large panther railed back, brown eyes widening and his body tensing. _Wait, you don't mean to tell me that you and Kuba...?_

 _Yes._ Robert responded, flicking his tail softly against the fur of the other male's fur to calm him. _He is the only one who can help me._

He knew it would take a while until Mats had managed to digest the news and so he didn't explain more, not yet. Instead he trotted over to Jakub who had been waiting patiently and was now cocking his head.

_Want to hunt me down, Kitty?_

Robert snarled at the teasing nickname and he felt the curious glances of the two tallest Guardians, Kamil and Grzegorz on him as well as the dark scowl from Łukasz, the third Guardian and also the Beta of the pack.

But he ignored them all as he cut the mental link to the other Alpha and gave himself over to his instincts the moment the sand-colored wolf started running. Robert dashed after him with a low growl, very aware that Jakub was only playing with him, after all the older male certainly knew that a panther was considerably faster and more agile than a wolf. They had done this a few times already, but this time Robert was in no mood to fool around, his animal side keen on finally shedding the last human concerns that the shift hadn't been able to get rid of.

The chase was over after barely two minutes. Jakub must have sensed Robert’s desperation as well because he slowed down there and turned just when the panther took a large leap, his fore paws brushing the wolf’s tail.

Jakub whirled around with a loud growl and the next second the two Alphas were fighting each other. It would have looked violent to an outsider, but if they had looked closely, they would have seen that both animals were careful to keep their claws retracted to not truly hurt each other. It was a fight for dominance and though Robert was the physically stronger one in his animal form, it had happened a few times before that Jakub had been able to beat him, using the former's occasional lack of concentration to his own advantage. Sometimes Robert was inclined to let him win because Jakub would have for sure ended their unusual arrangement if Robert had made him submit every single time. But tonight Robert was too desperate and frustrated to think of submitting and he was actually glad that Jakub seemed to have the strength to bottom tonight.

Their fight was as short as their hunt, just enough teasing and snarling for their bodies to react to the sexual energy between them and produce enough slick to not make this more painful than it had to be. The musky scent of their mutual arousal had filled the air, mingling with the sweet scent of their slick and finally Jakub stopped lashing out at him with his paws, only snapping at him with his snout when Robert came close.

They were both growling low, a sound coming from deep down their throats when Robert finally mounted Jakub, his large jaws closing tightly around the wolf’s neck to keep him in place as his cock slid inside of the other male’s body.

Jakub tensed at the sudden intrusion, but he didn’t try to throw Robert off or give any other indication that he didn’t want this. Robert loosened his tight hold around Jakub’s neck slightly while he was pressing his front legs against the wolf’s flanks to steady himself as he started thrusting into the other Alpha’s tight body.

It was a good thing that they had cut off their mental connection precautionary because the panther was quietly roaring at the victory, at taking another Alpha and the thought alone would have for sure ruined this moment between them.

It was hard enough for a dominant shifter to submit and Robert was glad that Jakub was able to do this for him and so he didn’t make it any harder for the other male, pushing into him with increasing force and ‘submitting’ as well: It was their unspoken agreement, a compromise that enabled to keep doing this: The one who got to mount the other would come first.

And so Robert made no move to hold off his orgasm, spilling his seed inside the wolf with a loud mewl before he went limp above him. Jakub was shivering and Robert winced in sympathy, knowing that the mating with a male feline was rather painful, the barbs on his shaft hurting the penetrated wolf. Despite their agreement that this would only be about sex and that Robert would pull out and leave once he had found his release, the panther stayed in that position a few moments longer, careful not to move so Jakub could deal with the pain. He licked over the fur of the wolf’s neck, ignoring the disapproving snarl he received for the affectionate gesture.

Only when Jakub had apparently recovered enough, did Robert finally pull out as carefully as he could and sink back onto all fours.

The older male’s breathing had returned to normal and he slowly turned around to drag his snout along Robert’s side, breathing in the smell of arousal and sex clinging to his sweaty fur. Robert let him, pushing his head against the wolf’s body every now and then to lick over it in a very cat-like manner that Jakub only commented with a low grumbling. But the panther knew that the wolf enjoyed this more than he liked to admit, his erection that had waned considerably at the pain of their mating, beginning to return. Robert sincerely hoped that Jakub wouldn’t mount him as well, not tonight. He might feel better now than he had done for several weeks, but he was not in the mood to get knotted tonight. That always felt strangely intimate and humiliating for him.

But Jakub either wasn’t in the mood either or he sensed Robert’s unwillingness because when he mounted him, he didn’t slide into Robert. Instead he started humping against the latter, his cock rubbing against the panther’s backside, merely brushing his hole in search of friction but not entering him. Robert pushed back against the wolf humping him and he knew Jakub was close when the grip of the paws at his flags tightened, the Alpha unconsciously baring his claws and digging them into Robert’s sides before he finally came with loud howl, his cock swelling and the jets of his release covering Robert’s abdomen.

Robert couldn’t help but hiss at the feel of the sticky semen against his fur, but he didn’t try to throw the now vulnerable male off and leave him alone with his knot. They stayed like this for what must be almost twenty minutes until Jakub finally let him go and Robert shook himself as though he could get rid of the weird sensation of having Jakub’s claim on him.

He could feel the latter reaching out for the connection again and now that this was over, Robert granted it to him without hesitation.

_Feeling better now?_

Robert only nodded, followed by a warning hiss when he felt the wolf’s tongue licking curiously over his stomach as though he wanted to taste himself, perhaps another canine instinct.

They started walking back towards the border where their Guardians must still be waiting, a comfortable silence between them. Jakub still bumped his side against Robert’s occasionally, a thing only packmates did yet Robert didn’t protest.

Mats was right, he needed to be touched like every other shapeshifter and he shouldn’t think of rejecting this like the animalistic side of him wanted to.

When they reached their respective packmates, Mats instantly surged forward to press himself against his Alpha, a dark scowl directed at Jakub that made the other Alpha chuckle as he stepped back from the panther.

This time Robert instantly allowed the link between them and his tail whipped at all the feelings from Mats that were threatening to crush him.

He pushed against Mats' flank until his Beta got the intention and dropped down to the ground, laying on his side while Robert started dragging his nose up the other male's stomach to his chest and back down again. Mats purred approvingly at finally getting the touching of his pack leader that he had been yearning for in the last few weeks.

Robert hummed proudly, his whiskers twitching when Mats got bolder and twined his legs around Robert to keep him in place, his large paws dragging up and down Robert's back to return the gesture.

Robert felt Jakub gently reaching for the mental connection again and the younger male let him form the link despite still being connected with Mats, his packmate who didn't have any skin privileges with any of the wolves.

_I know it's none of my business, Lewy, but Mats seems starved for your touch. When was the last time he got so much touching from you?_

Robert had to think for a long moment to come up with the right answer. _Two weeks ago._

Jakub didn't look very happy about that. _And are there any of your packmates that have gone even longer without their Alpha's touch?_

 _Only one,_ Robert replied. _Our youngster Joshua. He has been barely home the last three weeks, so I couldn't touch him at all during that time._

Jakub looked worried. _I know that you don't like to be touched sometimes and it is only getting worse over time. But as the Alpha you have a duty towards your pack and all members need_ _your physical attention every few days._

Robert sighed. _I know. I'm trying to do my best and make my animal side see reason, but like you said it's only getting worse. If it weren't for my times with you, Kuba, I might have already lost myself months ago.”_

Jakub tilted his head curiously. _You need to mate every now and then, Lewy. I'm the only one you share sexual pleasure with, I can smell it every time. But you need more than a good fuck or an outlet for your pent-up frustration. You need a lover._

Robert snarled and he started pacing in front of the four wolves, wincing at the unhappy wine of Mats at the sudden end of the touching. _That's the thing, Kuba, I tried. The panther never accepts anybody. He neither wants an ignorant human nor a willing shifter who is drawn to him because of his Alpha aura and ready to submit instantly. He wants an equal, somebody who wouldn't hesitate to stand up to him._

He knew that this wasn't normal for a shifter at all and every Alpha desired the ones who submitted to him easily. That every shifter strived to become the Alpha's lover until the pack leader eventually found a mate to settle down with. But Robert had never felt like that and he hoped that Jakub who hadn't had that many lovers either, would understand.

 _Is that the reason why I'm the only one your panther accepts as his sexual partner for now?_ Jakub asked and Robert nodded.

Silence settled over them for a moment before Łukasz cleard his throat and trotted over to them, his blue eyes still settled on Robert with mistrust but his body appearing relaxed otherwise. Robert watched the two highest-ranking BloodRiver Wolves communicating with each other, the Beta having cut Robert off the mental link he had initiated with his own Alpha.

Robert blinked in surprise when Jakub's body lit up in a golden light and barely two seconds later the wolf had vanished to reveal a naked man with a well-built body and short blond hair that bore unmistakable resemblance to the wolf's fur. The eyes of the man were exactly the same as those of the animal, like those of all shifters do. Except for Robert whose human form had blue eyes as well while the panther had green eyes. Another unusual thing about Robert to add to the list...

He stared up at Jakub warily, the shift confusing him. Members of different packs usually met in their animal forms to make use of the strength and the heightened senses in case of emergency.

Robert hissed at the human who merely curled his lips into an amused smile before speaking to him. “I need to talk you in our human forms. You know how suspicious and full of prejudices humans are when it comes to our kind, so I would prefer if we drove to Warsaw in a car instead of running there as animals.”

Robert finally shifted into his human form as well, his curiosity sparked. “What are we doing in Warsaw?”

Jakub bit his lip and he looked nervous all of a sudden. “Inspecting the corpse of a shifter.”

Robert frowned in confusion. “I don't understand.”

“A new pack has moved into this district just a few days ago and now one of them is dead, apparently murdered. The police has asked for the help of the surrounding packs and that includes ours as well.”

Robert's heart clenched at the knowledge that a shifter - one of their kind – had been violently killed. “Alright, let me just get some clothes, then I'm ready to go.”

“I will pick you up in an hour,” Jakub responded and Robert didn't even ask him how he knew where Robert was living. Seemed like the Alpha of the BloodRiver Wolves had been sneaking around lately.

Robert was about to leave when a thought came to him and he asked, “What kind of shifters are the members of this new pack?”

Jakub snorted amusedly and it made him sound a lot like the wolf Robert was so much more familiar with. “Horses. They are horses.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to warn you: Yes, Thomas will be a horse shifter but no, he won't be the Alpha of this pack. :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't be home this whole weekend, so you get an early update for this story. :)  
> Please let me know in the comments what you think of it.

 

 

**Chapter 3**

 

Robert had just enough time for taking a shower and getting into a pair of jeans and a black V-neck when he heared a car pulling up in his driveway. Mats hadn’t moved an inch, he was still sitting on the couch in the exact same position that Robert had left him half an hour ago.

Robert quickly started packing a few things just in case his visit in Warsaw would turn out be longer than expected.  
“I don’t know how long I will be gone,” he told Mats calmly. “It could take two or three days. Until I return, the pack is under your command.”

Mats nodded and he finally stood up and reached out for Robert to pull him into his arms. “Alright, just try to hurry. And take good care of yourself.”

“Don’t worry, Kuba is also there and nobody would be stupid enough to attack two Alphas.”

Mats only snorted at the supposed reassurance. “I will never trust a dog.”

Robert gave up then, knowing that he couldn’t convince Mats. Of course it would take some time for his pack to stop seeing every other one as the enemy. Alliances between shapeshifters were very rare and just because Jakub was helping Robert dealing with his growing demons didn’t mean things were going to change right away. That would take a very long time…

He held Mats for a moment, letting his Beta soak up as much of the touch as possible before eventually retreating. “Look after the pack for me.”

Then he threw the bag over his shoulder and exited his house. Jakub was waiting outside and Robert has to smile at the beauty he was driving, an ocean blue Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R with two black stripes from hood to tail. As soon as he had disposed his bag in the back, he slid onto the passenger seat with an approving groan. “Nice car.”

“I knew you would like her,” Jakub replied amusedly before he started the car again. The purring sound of the engine made Robert shiver and he replied with a purr of his own which made Jakub chuckle. “Stop flirting with her, she’s all mine.”

“What a pity, I was hoping you would let me ride her one time.”

Jakub gave him an incredulous look. “Oh no, the only thing you get to ride is me.”

Robert rolled his eyes at the innuendo before pointing towards the small town in front of them. “Can you please stop there?”

“Why?”

“There is something I have to do before I leave,” is all that Robert replied.

Jakub pulled up in front of the first house, the most secluded one that was still a mile away from the actual town.

“Wait here for me,” Robert told the other Alpha and he get out of the car and hurried up the stairs of the front porch. He had just rung the door when it opened and he came face to face with one of his three Guardians.

“Robert?”

“Hello Manu.”

The blond stepped aside to let him in before pulling him into a short hug. Manuel had always needed less touching than other shapeshifters and Robert had always appreciated that trait. It had made hunting a lot easier to bear when he hadn’t in a good mood, just like earlier today. When Manuel had pulled back, Robert askd, “Where is Joshua?”

“Upstairs,” Manuel replied. “He just came back from the training course in Berlin two hours ago and is getting some much-needed sleep.”

Robert walked upstairs then with Manuel in tow and carefully he opened the door to Joshua’s bedroom. The 22 year old leopard was one of the youngest ones in their pack and barely home these days because of the courses he was taking. That’s why he was still staying with Manuel after his parents' death even though he had already reached the age where most humans moved out of their home. But things were different in a pack. One never cut the ties binding them together because every member of the pack needed the other. Not to mention that they were very protective of each other and no age could ever change that.

When Robert entered the room, he found Joshua sound asleep in the bed. The Alpha almost regretted having to wake him but this was something he needed to for the young man and besides, with how exhausted Joshua was, he would probably fall back into slumber the moment Robert had left.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and reached out for Joshua’s shoulder. The younger one’s eyes snapped open instantly, a shifter’s natural reaction to getting touched when they were most vulnerable.

When his eyes settled on Robert, they widened in disbelief. “Robert?”

The older man smiled down at him affectionately. “I missed you, Jo. We all missed you.”

A moment later a golden light illuminated the room and Robert was lying on his back and a leopard with misty green eyes above him, his paws on Robert’s chest pressing him back into the sheets. The leopard mewled as he rubbed his head against Robert’s face and the Alpha felt a surge of guilt at seeing how much the male needed his Alpha’s touch.

He changed into his animal form as well and reversed their positions until the smaller leopard was lying underneath him, the white fur of his belly exposed. Robert dragged his own face over it before licking over Joshua’s flank until the younger male started purring happily.

Robert only stopped the playful touching when he was sure that Joshua was feeling a lot better again. Then he changed back into his human form, ruffling the fur at the back of the leopard’s head before reaching out for Joshua’s mind.

The large cat flexed his muscles and his tail stilled when he accepted the link, instantly shooting the expected question at Robert.

_You smell of sex. And a dog._

Of course the long shower hadn’t been able to cover up that kind of scent, Robert had already suspected as much.

_That’s not important right now. Jo, I’m sorry for not having come to you sooner. But I promise you I will leave the link with you open until I’m back._

Joshua tilted his head curiously. _Where are you going?_

_To Warsaw. The Alphas of all surrounding clans have to meet there._

The leopard flicked his tail in surprise. _But Warsaw is more than thirty miles away. I thought the distance eventually becomes too much and one has to cut the connection._

Robert smiled softly. _It becomes harder because we aren’t used to keeping the channel open over wider distances. But it is possible and I will do so in case you need me._ He winked at the younger man. _I will teach you how to do it once I’m back. It could help you when you’re away from the pack for a longer time._

Joshua purred again and Robert got up from the bed, turning back to Manuel who had been watching them from the doorway with a relieved smile.

“Thank you, Lewy. He really needed this.”

Robert nodded. “I will have to leave our territory for two or three days. Mats will take over the pack in the meantime and that means the pack needs a new Beta transitionally. Since you are one of the two other Guardians, I was thinking of you. Will you accept?”

“Of course I will,” Manuel replied without hesitation. “It would be an honor. But as you said, you will only be gone for a few days. Don’t you think appointing a new Beta for that is a bit too much?”

Robert shook his head. “It doesn’t matter if I’m gone for a day or a month. Something could always happen and it is better for all of you if all ranks are already defined instead of you fighting for them after my death.”

Manuel hissed angrily and Robert knew for sure that his tail would be twitching angrily if the blond had been in his leopard form right now. “You’re not going to die! And even if you did, we would never settle such an issue like this. We would mourn you too much to fight each other.”

Robert felt strangely touched by the admission. “Mourning me would not be a good thing. Others could take that sentiment as a weakness, especially when the question of who is the Alpha or Beta hasn’t been answered clearly.”

Manuel growled disapprovingly. “We don’t care about what others think. Let them come. We are strong enough to fight them thanks to you.” His expression softens. “You are our strength, Robert. Your devotion has made this pack strong.”

Robert swallowed hard. “I was too young to become an Alpha at that time. Young, inexperienced and full of rage. My thirst for blood could have destroyed us all.”

“It would have if you had involved the pack,” Manuel agreed. “But even with that red fog clouding your mind, you still put the pack first and started your vendetta on your own.”

“I came back with the blood of a dozen shifters on my hands,” Robert reminded him.

Manuel nodded. “Yes, you did. And no pack has dared to challenge us ever since that day.”

Robert couldn’t really argue with that. And so he let it go, instead leaning forward to mark Manuel as the new Beta of the pack. He closed his mouth around the older man’s throat and bit down carefully. He let go the moment he tasted blood to keep the little wound as superficial as possible since it was only for a few days anyway.

Then he walked out of the room and down the stairs. He had already expected that Manuel would follow him to the door, but the leopard with the light coat suddenly circling him and rubbing his head against Robert’s legs, took him by surprise.

“I really have to go now, Jo.”

The leopard hissed but took a step back as he watched Robert leave the house.

The Alpha didn’t turn back to his packmates, but he could feel still their gazes on him until he got back into the car.

Jakub screwed up his nose as soon as he had started driving again. “You smell of a cat.”

“I _am_ a cat,” Robert reminded him though he knew of course what Jakub meant.

“A different cat, I mean. Not like you usually do.”

“Skin privileges,” was all Robert replied and he was glad when Jakub seemed to get that he wouldn’t talk about this in more detail. They might have developed something that could almost be called a tentative friendship, but Jakub still was the Alpha of another pack, so what had just happened between Robert, Joshua and Manuel was none of his business.

They spent most the ride to Warsaw in comfortable silence and when they finally arrived, it was almost midnight. Robert’s eyelids were already drooping after the exhausting day at work and then his ‘physical encounter’ with Jakub, so he was glad that their meeting with the other Alphas and the local police was only scheduled for tomorrow morning.

Robert had expected them to stay the night in a hotel, but Jakub parked the car in the driveway of a familiar private house. Robert raised an eyebrow at the older man. “This is the house of the DarkCave Cougar’s Alpha. What are we doing here?”

Jakub shrugged nonchalantly. “He offered us to stay with him while we are here in Warsaw. This is his territory, so I guess he is just cautious and wants to keep an eye on the other Alphas.”

Robert hummed in agreement and got out of the car, walking up to the door side by side with Jakub. Before they had even reached it, the door swung open and a man considerably smaller than the two of them greeted them with a wary smile. “You’re late.”

He didn’t wait for a reply, but stepped aside to let them in. It had been a few years since Robert had last been in this house, but he still remembered Philipp vividly. The Alpha might not have the looks of a typical pack leader, but his sharp mind more than made up for it. Robert would never want him as an enemy because he respected Philipp far too much. That was one of the many reasons why he had been one of the few who hadn’t laughed amusedly when Philipp had announced his new Beta at their last annual pack gathering.

The Beta who was striding towards them right now, a beautiful young man with light brown hair and hazel eyes.

“Welcome to Warsaw, Alphas.” He gave a polite nod of his head, but otherwise he showed no other signs of submission that Alphas were usually greeted with when they met other shifters.

Robert reached out to grasp his arm in a formal greeting. “It is good to see you again, Erik.”

Many might consider him too young to already be a Beta, but Robert was not one of them. He already had been an Alpha when he had been Erik’s age even though most of the other packs had thought Robert would eventually destroy the RedMountain Leopards. And Robert had the feeling Erik would be a good Beta and perhaps even a good Alpha one day.

When he dropped Erik’s arm, the Beta frowned at him. “You have Jakub’s smell all over you.”

Robert didn’t say anything because obviously many Alphas didn’t like to be questioned about such a private matter by a stranger. But all Alphas and Betas already knew that Robert was slowly losing his grip on his panther, that the animal was overtaking the human more and more. They knew that he was disliking touches more and more and if Robert wanted to keep malicious gossip at bay, then it would actually be a good thing to tell them about this thing between him and Jakub.

“Kuba and I have skin privileges. Out of necessity obviously.”

He didn’t elaborate, Erik could draw the right conclusions himself. The Beta accepted the explanation with a nod before turning to Jakub.

Meanwhile Robert walked into the living room where he could smell the scent of another shifter, an earthier and thicker scent than the one of the cougars.

He found another Alpha sitting on the couch and eying him with a smirk. “Lewy.”

“Sergio.”

Sergio Ramos was one of the most dangerous shifters Robert had ever seen and he was glad that they got along quite well. He was the Alpha of the small pack living between Jakub’s and Philipp’s territory, the BlackForest Bears.

Robert greeted him the same way that he had greeted Erik before sitting down beside him. They didn't really talk to each other, but Robert could feel the other Alpha's piercing gaze on him for the next five minutes.

“Problem, Sergio?” He looked over to the older man challengingly.

Sergio narrowed his head but shook his head. “No.”

But his eyes drifted to Jakub for a short moment and Robert knew that Sergio was most likely wondering about the nature of their relationship when their scents were still mingled in an unmistakable manner.

“Kuba and I are not mates,” he told Sergio, but to his surprise the latter's expressions became almost worried.

“Yes, I can see that. But maybe that would help you?”

Robert tensed and he bit his lip hard to keep himself from sneering at the older man for daring to call him out for that supposed weakness. Sergio was clearly only concerned about Robert, but as an Alpha himself he should have known how it made Robert feel.

“I don't think I could be a very good mate to anybody right now. Not with how moody I am these days and especially how little sexual interest my panther seems to take in every other being on this entire planet.”

He got up from the couch then and walked out of the living room in long strides, hoping to get away from this ridiculous questioning.

He almost ran into Erik who had been talking with a very large man that Robert remembered as Philipp's mate Per.

The Beta excused himself from Per before approaching Robert warily. “You know they are just worried because of what you could become, right?”

Robert looked at the younger man for a long moment to get his temper back under control before answering. “What do you mean with that?”

“Your panther is already stronger than your human side,” Erik replied. “And your panther can be cruel and malevolent at times. All packs fear that you could lose your human side for good."

This time Robert actually let out a warning growl. “Be careful what you say, Erik. My panther isn't malevolent by nature, he was only driven by rage and thirst for revenge for more than a year. That leaves scars on one's soul. Scars that will never go away.”

A part of him hoped that this would scare Erik away for good, but the Beta only came closer. “So it is true then. The stories of how you slaughtered a whole pack in a single night without anybody's help like a vengeful ghost.”

Robert held his gaze for a few seconds longer. “No.” When he saw the surprise crossing Erik's features, he added, “Ghosts can't get injured.”

He raised his shirt to reveal the four longish scars marring his stomach and watched Erik's eyes widen before the latter hesitantly raised his hand. “Can I?”

Usually Robert would reject him because he didn't know Erik very well, but he was already used to this kind of reaction and so he merely nodded his head.

Erik's fingers traced lightly, almost reverently, over the scars and it took him a while to tear his eyes away from them and address Robert again. “I agree with Sergio though, you need to find your mate. He or she may be able to help you.”

Robert took a step back from the Beta and dropped his shirt again, feeling increasingly annoyed. “You just told me that I'm about to become a monster and now you suggest I find myself a mate to settle down with?”

“I'm not talking about a random mate that you can choose just like that,” Erik retorted and for the first time, there was defiance in his voice. “I'm talking about your true mate.”

Robert tensed. “That is a fairytale parents tell their children at night. There is no such thing as a true mate.”

“They are very rare, but there are cases of them,” Erik argued but Robert only shook his head.

“Even if it is true and there is one person out there who I am destined to be with, there is only a slim chance that I would ever find that person. I would have to search the whole world.”

“If you are destined to be together, you _will_ find each other,” Erik replied confidently.

Before Robert could respond though, the sudden ringing of the doorbell made him jerk.

He and Erik turned to the side and watched as Philipp opened the door to welcome the last Alpha missing.

The Alpha of the new pack.

Robert saw a breathtakingly beautiful man entering; older and also taller than Philipp with light brown hair and soft eyes.

Sergio, Jakub and Per had just appeared from the living room as well when Philipp announced, “May I introduce Miroslav, the Alpha of the Nightflower Horses.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise that Thomas will finally make his first appearance in the next chapter, it is about damn time! :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the delay! The last two weeks were very stressful and because of its very strange and special mood I needed to write 'Trinity' (or at least parts of it) first before returning to this story. But you get an extra long chapter to make up for it. I was writing the entire second half as some kind of therapy to cope with yesterday's disaster.

 

 

**Chapter 4**

 

The day after, the five Alphas as well as Erik found themselves standing in front of a large building where they were supposed to meet the local officer as well as the medical examiner who had done the autopsy of the dead shifter’s body.

The close proximity of so many Alphas would have already made Robert feel edgy enough as it was, but the anxiousness surrounding them only made it worse. Robert mostly stayed by Jakub’s side because he was the only one he could trust, but to his surprise he found himself drawn to Miroslav from time to time as well.

The human part of Robert was confused by that because he knew this Alpha the least and should be wary of him, but the panther had entirely different plans. The animal seemed intrigued by the older man and every now and then Robert found himself taking an unconscious step towards Miroslav, the panther rising back to the front of his mind and making it hard to think straight.

Robert thought he must be exaggerating until Jakub gave him a strange look. “Lewy, your eyes are green.”

Robert shook his head as though that would help to clear his head and force the panther back, but it didn’t help much. He didn’t know what it was that fascinated him about Miroslav, but he had more important matters right now.

He noticed a man in his mid-thirties approaching them with a polite smile and Philipp stepped forward to greet him. “Hello Arjen, it’s nice to see you again.” Then he turned back to the others. “This is Arjen Robben, our local police officer.”

After the Alphas had greeted Arjen as well, the human moved for them to follow him inside. “I thank all of you for coming here. Philipp already told me I should make it quick because a bunch of Alphas in one room is never a good thing.”

Robert smirked and he heard Jakub next to him chuckling amusedly as they followed Arjen into the building. But once they had entered the room furthest down the corridor, they were faced with the cruel reality again.

The stench of a dead shifter filled the air and Robert had to swallow, both against the despair filling him at that as well as his panther pacing at the surface of his mind, wanting to take over and avenge the violent death of one of their kind. The man waiting for them beside the examination table looked up when they entered, a man around Arjen's age and Robert froze when he saw the two long scars marring one side of his face. He felt the other Alphas stiffen as well and the man raised an eyebrow at them challengingly. “And here I was thinking people like you would be used to scars.”

Philipp greeted the man with a hug. “Don't be so hard on them. You're a human and you have a scar of what could only be the attack of a shifter. It's our instinct to be wary of you.” He turned back to the others. “This is Franck, an old friend of mine and one of the medical examiners working here.”

Franck nodded in greeting before pulling back the blanket to reveal the corpse lying on the table. Robert had no idea what he had expected to find, but as he stared down at the body, even his panther was momentarily shocked into silence by what he saw.

The man must be around Robert's age with golden brown skin and dark brown hair that was shorter at the sides. Robert heard a pained gasp and noticed Miroslav shivering slightly. It must be hard enough for someone like him – a shifter that didn't kill on a regular basis – to see this, but what made it even worse was that this was somebody from his clan and the pain must be eating him up from the inside.

This time Robert didn't fight his instinct to pull the older man into his arms and for once he didn't mind the physical contact. His eyes traveled back to the corpse and he took in the torn chest and the various scars on his sides.

Jakub had stepped closer and addressed Franck again. “Who is he and what happened to him?”

Franck took a glance down at his clipboard. “His name is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 27 years of age, a horse shifter. He was found like this in the woods two days ago.”

Jakub turned back to Robert with a meaningful look. “These scars look an awful lot like imprints of animal paws.”

He didn't say more, but Robert still got what the older Alpha was trying to say.

The wounds looked like they had been inflicted by another shapeshifter.

And that must be clear to everybody in the room, except perhaps for the two humans who could still blame an ordinary animal for this, at least in theory. Though the fact that they had invited the Alphas of all surrounding clans suggested otherwise.

They must be thinking the same thing as Jakub.

Arjen gave Philipp a meaningful look. “The body was found in your territory, Philipp.”

The smaller Alpha hissed warningly. “No member of my pack would do something like this to another shifter.”

“But some shifters are violent, right?” Arjen argued and he sounded torn, clearly wanting to believe Philipp but all evidence was pointing against him up to now.

“I know my pack, they are my family!” Philipp gritted out through clenched teeth and Robert could feel how close to the surface the cougar was, ready to break out and defend his clan.

Miroslav stepped forward then, his expression still grief-stricken but not hostile. “It could have been a loner as well.”

Arjen nodded thoughtfully. “I know and I hope so, that would make it easier to hunt the murderer down. Which is why I need the help of you Alphas. There is no one who knows these woods better than you, Philipp, and having the leaders of all surrounding clans here will ensure that the murderer isn’t safe in other territories either.”

Robert raised an eyebrow when he got what Arjen was suggesting and Jakub spoke out loud what he had been thinking. “You want us to hunt that guy down for you.”

Arjen nodded and for a moment it was silent in the room while the Alphas were thinking about the suggestion. Hunting another shifter was always a dangerous task, especially when the hunters didn’t know each other too well and had no idea how to work as a team. Which would definitely be the case with five shifters as dominant as they were.

Philipp took a step forward at that. “I will inform my packmates. We are only a small pack, but enough for such a hunt. Like you said this is our territory and we will be more successful than a bunch of Alphas on their own.” He turned to Miroslav and his expression softened. “You should take the body back to your clan. You are a horse, a peaceful clan and there is no need for you to participate in a hunt against who knows what kind of monster.”

Miroslav shook his head though. “Thank you, Philipp, but I can't do that. I need to do this together with you, to find the one who killed Auba. My clan is in the hands of our Beta and I know Thomas will look after them well in my absence.”

Robert felt another wave of sympathy for the Alpha of the Nightflower Horses and he stepped forward, reaching out for the latter to squeeze his shoulder reassuringly. “I think I can speak for all of us when I promise that we will help you in every way we can.”

He threw a look around, but nobody objected. Instead Sergio who had been following the discussion silently up to now, finally spoke up. “I agree. After all it’s in our own interest as well to hunt down a shifter who kills others of our kind.”

Philipp nodded. “Then it is decided. Tonight we will go on a hunt.”

 

***

 

The night was setting in when Philipp and Erik had gathered the rest of their clan. The other Alphas were still in their human forms, trying not to make any sudden movement while the nine cougars were approaching them with visible mistrust.

Robert instantly recognized Philipp thanks to the powerful aura surrounding the smaller male. One of the other cougars, larger than Philipp with hazel eyes, was trotting over to Robert with no hesitation, rubbing his head against the latter’s leg without any fear. Definitely Erik.

Robert gave him a curious look but let him continue knowing that Erik needed to get familiar with him before they could go hunting together. His packmates didn’t look very pleased with what was happening, but when Erik was done and approached Sergio next, two other cougars took his place, rubbing themselves against Robert.

The panther inside of him was uncomfortable and rapidly getting annoyed by all the touching, but the thought of their upcoming hunt made it easier to bear.

As soon as Philipp’s pack was done, the Alphas shifted one after the other. Miroslav was the first one and the large auburn stallion emerging from the golden light was a wonderful sight to behold, proud and beautiful with his shiny fur and the long mane as well as the white fetlock of his hind legs.

Robert bit his lip to keep his growl inside, his fingers itching with the desire to shift and challenge the proud horse. He could sense Sergio’s restlessness, the older man clearly feeling the same way while the rest of them was merely stunned by Miroslav’s beauty.

Jakub shifted next and the appearance of the large sand-colored wolf with the piercing blue eyes had several of the cougars hissing disapprovingly, clearly seeing Jakub as a threat. They only stopped when Philipp let out a loud chirruping sound that was apparently meant to make them calm down.

As soon as the cougars had stopped eying Jakub too suspiciously, Robert shifted as well, fully prepared for a similar reaction from them and indeed, as soon as he was done, he was greeted with angry hisses and the anxious whipping of long tails. Robert shook his head at the headache when all nine cougars as well as Miroslav and Jakub mentally reached out for him to form the connection. It would be necessary if they really wanted to work together successfully, but the panther still wanted to reject them. Lately he was already having trouble to allow the link with his own packmates and now a dozen shifters he didn’t know very well wanted to form it too.

To his surprise Jakub came to his help, growling warningly at the cougars in close proximity until they backed off Robert. Then his mind tentatively reached out for the younger Alpha’s and Robert accepted the link instantly.

_I know it’s a lot to take for you, but just this once you need to let your human side win. You need the link, Robert. If we go out with you cut off from the rest, everything could happen._

Robert knew that Jakub was right and he tried to fight against the panther’s instinct to shut the other shifters out of his mind. He mentally embraced Miroslav first because for some reason the other Alpha didn’t upset his panther as much as the rest of them and it was fairly easy and almost comforting to feel the mind of such a calm and peaceful shifter compared to his own bloodthirsty nature.

Then he connected with Philip and one by one with each of the cougars, so immersed in the task that he would have missed Sergio’s transformation hadn’t it been for the anxious hisses of the former.

The shifters were all trying to familiarize themselves with each other, only Robert remained where he was, glad that everybody respected his wish for privacy. Only Erik dared to speak to him though he didn’t make the mistake of coming closer.

_I’ve heard rumors of how hard it is for you to allow other people in, but I didn’t really believe it was that bad. You’re almost as dangerous as a loner._

Robert growled at the Beta, angered by the insulting comparison, but Erik luckily realized his mistake and he lowered his head in submission, ducking closer to the ground to make himself appear even smaller.

Robert accepted the silent apology with a low hiss and a moment later Jakub was pressing his snout against his neck, an unusual sign of worry from the strong wolf.

_Lewy, let’s just try to make it through this night. I know you’re strong enough to do that._

Robert hissed angrily, feeling the eyes of the shifters on him, feeling their fear. He hated it, all this attention on him. He tried to focus only on Jakub to calm himself as much as this was possible right now.

Eventually Philipp approached him carefully.

_The foreign scent on the corpse is definitely there but hard to place. You are the one most in sync with his animal, perhaps it will be easier for you to track that scent out there._

The proud panther agreed, but Robert was torn. _If I give myself completely over to my animal and take the lead of our hunt, I will not only hunt the murderer down. I will tear him apart for what he did. Not exactly in the interest of the human law._

Philipp didn’t look surprised by that confession. _I know. And don’t worry we will stop you. You may be very strong, but there is no way a panther could take on a grizzly on his own._ The small Alpha pointedly glanced over to Sergio.

Robert nodded and carefully he sniffed at Auba’s body on the examination table. There was his natural scent that was tinged with an earthier one that smelled similar like Miroslav so this must be their common clan scent. The panther shook his head and hissed at the stench of death in the air; not the sweet blood of a recent kill but the sickening smell of a rotting body. This man might have been found only two days ago, but he must be dead for considerably longer, at least five days.

Despite his instinct to step away Robert inhaled deeper and tried to place the other biting smell clinging to the dead body. It reminded him of cold iron, unnatural and completely wrong. That was most likely the smell the others could detect as well and it made it a lot harder to find the smell of the murderer.

Robert could feel the other shifters, especially the cougars becoming more and more restless the longer he took with finding something he could work with. Just when he was about to lose hope though, he found _it._

There, buried deep underneath death, old blood and iron he found the scent of another living being. Warm and sweet. The scent of another carnivore. There were definitely similarities with the DarkCave Cougars, but that could also be because the murder had happened in their territory and the corpse had been lying there for days.

But the panther couldn’t afford to think about the who and why, all he cared about was revenge. He might not have known the man lying in front of him, but he had been a shifter as well and even if it hadn’t been for him, the panther wanted this revenge for Miroslav.

He felt a strange connection towards the Alpha of the Nightflower Horses, a sense of loyalty he couldn’t quite place. Robert might not know where it came from, but his instincts had never been wrong.

Carefully Robert opened his mind for the other shifters, accepting the various links with them once again. It was easier this time because his senses were completely focused on tracking down the source of the scent and killing the shifter.

 _Ready, Robert?_ Philipp asked him and the panther let out an approving growl before finally starting to run. The others followed him quietly out of the room and they all stayed close by only until they reached the edge of the city. As soon as they had left civilization behind, they separated, the cougars darting out left and right simultaneously while the Alphas were staying behind Robert, all of them building an arrow-like formation. Philipp was the only one staying right next to him and leading him to the spot where they had found Auba’s body.

Robert was sure he would have been able to find that place even without Philipp’s guidance. It was tinged with violence, almost as though the ground was forever marked as a place of cruel and needless murder. The iron smell was strong at this spot, making it easy to follow the trace. At least at the start.

Robert had started running now, further away from the city and deeper into the woods and with the various scents of all the cougars that had passed through the territory in the last few days, it became increasingly harder to follow the trace. Though a part of Robert wondered why the murderer hadn’t tried to escape through the water. Swimming in the river would have for sure helped in covering up the tracks.

Instead the trace was leading them right through the territory and Robert was so focused on following the fading scent that he didn’t even realize where they were heading to. Not that he would have been familiar with his surroundings anyway.

He flinched when he felt Philipp speaking to him through their link. _We’re just a few miles ahead of Wołomin, roughly twenty miles away from Warsaw. Are you sure you have been following the right scent?_

Robert turned towards the small cougar beside him, his whiskers quivering in annoyance. _Yes, I’m sure. Why are you asking me this?_

 _Because I know that there is no lone shifter living in this city,_ Philipp replied and there was definitely an underlying hostility in his tone. _One of our packmates is living here. The only shifter in this city._

Robert froze and his eyes darted over his surroundings where the eight other cougars were waiting for their Alpha’s instructions. Philipp let out an asking mewl and the one with the darkest fur stepped forward, his stance submissive and definitely anxious as he stared at Robert.

Philipp stepped next to the younger male. _This is Nuri. He is the only one of us living in this city._

Slowly Robert approached Nuri, noting the confusion and fear in those eyes, his pupils dilated and only leaving a slim ring of green behind. Still he stayed still while the panther was rounding him. The scent was definitely very similar to the one of the trail but less pungent, that was why the panther hadn’t taken much note of it during their hunt.

 _It could be Nuri’s scent that I have been following._ The other male took a step back, taking a defensive stance as though expecting Robert to attack him and the other cougars that were emerging from the shadows, hissing warningly in visible support of their packmate. Robert tilted his head in a human like manner and added, _But there is something amiss. I can’t quite explain it, but perhaps the murderer deliberately took this path, knowing that I would still be able to smell Nuri._

This time Sergio cut in. _Why would he do that?_

_So we would think that Nuri is the murderer._

Sergio didn’t respond, clearly considering the possibility. Robert turned his head towards the submissive cougar beside him when he felt Nuri making use of their link for the very first time.

_And what do you think, Alpha?_

The rational human part of Robert wanted to evade the question, the fact that Nuri’s scent had been at the murder scene and also on Auba’s corpse was hard to deny. But at the moment not the human was in charge but the panther. And as the panther looked down into the eyes of the dark-brown cougar, he had a very clear opinion on this matter.

_I don’t think you killed Auba._

Some of the tension left Nuri’s body and he stepped forward and pressed his face against Robert’s chest. The latter froze and shot Philipp an alarmed look, after all packmates only touched their own Alphas like that. But the smaller Alpha had an almost satisfied look on his face and Robert had the suspicion Philipp would be smirking if he was in his human form. And so Robert allowed the touch, feeling honored by the gesture even though his animal side was once again irritated by it.

When Nuri had pulled back, Robert flicked the tip of his tail against his flank. _We will follow the scent further, I suspect it will lead us to your house. Once we’re there I will try to distinguish the foreign one from yours and you will check if anything in or around your house is out of the ordinary, alright?_

Nuri nodded and he stayed close at Robert’s side as they resumed running. They reached the city very quickly and Robert was immensely grateful when he saw that Nuri was living at the outskirts of the city. Most shifters prefered houses at the edge of the forest or ones who were secluded in other ways, but there were always exceptions. He had once met a pigeon shifter that had lived in an apartment in the middle of the city and loved it, something the solitary panther still had trouble wrapping his head around…

When they had reached the front door, Robert stopped and watched Nuri disappear in a golden light as his body seemed to grow and change, revealing a handsome man around Robert’s age, with dark hair and stubble, his greenish eyes looking slightly paler now than in his cougar form.

Philipp appeared beside Robert, turning back to his packmates with a loud hiss and instantly two of them stepped forward and shifted as well, presumably to join Nuri and help him search his house, a task the Alpha clearly didn’t trust Robert with yet.

Robert had already seen Erik in his human body of course, but the shorter man with the light brown hair and warm eyes beside him was unfamiliar to him.

They followed Nuri into his house and instantly the rest of the pack started to round the house, clearly keeping watch for attackers while the three men were in their more vulnerable human form.

Philipp took the lead then. _Nuri, Erik and Mario will search for any clues. We should try to search for any trace of the murderer. If he was truly in Nuri’s house, then there could be a trace leading away from the house as well._

 _As long as he didn’t come or leave by car,_ Sergio added.

Robert was barely listening anymore though. He was carefully watching the Alpha horse standing a few feet away. Miroslav had been silent for the entire hunt and the panther felt a wave of sympathy for him. He admired the Alpha for being able to stand here waiting for shifters he didn’t know at all to help him find the person responsible for his packmate’s violent death.

Robert remembered how little control he had had over himself when his parents had been murdered and he had avenged their deaths. Others might blame his cruel actions on the panther, but Robert knew that was not the entire truth. The panther hadn’t just taken charge on his own, instead it had been the human who had gladly embraced the panther’s thirst for revenge because it had meant having a purpose. It had kept him from drowning in grief and given him an outlet. The human had willingly given himself over to the panther and they had both been very much present when they had shed the blood of the Moonlight pack; one of the very rare packs with shifters of different species. Now this pack was no more, one by one killed by the panther in a single night, the very few survivors that had been lucky enough not to be around that night, either having joined other packs or having become loners.

Since then the name Robert Lewandowski had become associated with blood and violence, something the panther had accepted by now. His pain and grief had made him what he was today, the respected Alpha of a strong pack.

How would the same emotions change Miroslav though?

Robert walked over to the horse that gave him a wary look, body on alert but no flattened ears yet.

Robert should stay away from the horse’s legs - one kick of Miroslav’s hooves could injure him very badly after all – but the panther doubted that the Alpha would try to hurt him. He circleed the horse’s front legs, rubbing himself against them in a comforting way all the while feeling Jakub’s confused eyes on him.

_Lewy, what are you doing? You are an Alpha, you don’t have to behave like that._

He didn’t sound accusing though, so Robert didn’t take his words as an insult. Robert was confused by his need to comfort an Alpha he barely knew, but the panther was so sure of what he was doing that the man didn’t even think of doubting him.

He felt Miroslav asking for the link and granted it to him without thinking.

_Why are you doing this, Robert?_

The panther took a step back. _I don’t know. Maybe it’s because you are not a predator and therefore not someone I naturally see as a threat. Perhaps that makes it easier for me to behave civilized._

He didn’t really believe that himself, but he had no other explanation why he felt so strangely at ease around Miroslav. Robert knew he had not the same kind of interest in Miroslav that he had in Jakub. What had drawn him to the Alpha wolf were his dominance and his cocky nature; the panther seeing the wolf as his equal.

Miroslav might be an Alpha but a very different one. But why did Robert feel as though he had some kind of connection with the older man?

The human side of Robert was confused while the panther simply didn’t care about the reason. He walked back towards the house and tried to resume searching for another trace of the scent, but there was only the one they had been following all along, the one that led inside Nuri’s house. Judging by the frustrated looks of Sergio, Jakub, Philipp and the other cougars, they hadn’t been successful either.

A few minutes later Nuri, Erik and Mario emerged from the house with disappointed faces and that was enough to tell Robert they hadn’t found anything significant.

Nuri confirmed his suspicion with a shake of his head. “The trace ends in my bedroom. We have searched the entire house and found nothing else out of the ordinary. This just doesn’t make any sense.”

Philipp let out a low growl, but he looked like he had expected as much. _Then I’m afraid we will have to let the matter go for now. Robert, please check Nuri’s bedroom, just in case that he has missed something._

Robert obeyed without protest, following the man leading him inside the house and up the stairs to his bedroom. The panther hissed in annoyance at how strong the unnatural biting scent was in here. Clearly the murderer must have stayed for quite a while, perhaps even hours, presumably to wait for Nuri and attack him once he had returned. But it was just like Nuri had said.

The trace ended here.

Robert paced around the room with growing frustration but to no avail. All he could smell was the several day old trace leading to the bed. Robert’s tail jerked when he let out a growl as though the bed had personally offended him and he flinched when Nuri reached out to pet his head.

“It is no use, Robert. Thank you for trying though.”

The panther looked up at him, eying the man for a moment. There was no doubt that Nuri was in danger, the murderer could come back and try again after all.

Robert opened his mouth and then closed his jaws around Nuri’s left wrist, careful not to bite down hard enough to draw blood. Instead he pulled at the hand, prompting the man to stumble forward. “What are you doing, Robert?”

Instead of responding the panther pulled harder, dragging Nuri along with him as he made his way to the front door. Of course Robert could simply shift into his human form to talk with Nuri and make him understand that he didn’t want him to stay in this house any longer, but the panther didn’t want to retreat already, too frustrated by their failure to rest just yet.

He only let go of Nuri’s wrist once they had left the house and there he instantly connected with Philipp again.

_I wasn’t able to find anything I could work with. But I’m sure it is not safe here for Nuri any longer. He should stay with someone else for a while._

Philipp shifted into his human form instantly. “I agree with you, Nuri will stay with me and Per for the meantime. And no shifters should wander around the territory alone.”

Another golden light briefly lit up the dark night and a moment later the bear had been replaced by the man, a grim look on Sergio’s face. “We should regularly check our borders in case that guy wants to switch territories. It will be easier to track him down and besides, he can’t have disappeared like that. He has got to be somewhere.”

There was a general murmur of approval among the present shifters and Philipp was the one to make the decision for them. “Then we will continue to search our own territories for a new trace. I have the feeling he is not done with this one murder and if he is really after Nuri now, then we will find him no matter what the cost. For now there is no need for you to stay here with us, your packs need their Alphas. We will stay in contact.”

The large group of shifters parted after his words, the cougars staying behind while Nuri was packing enough things to stay at Philipp’s house for a few weeks. The four other Alphas walked back into the direction where they had come from, Sergio being the first one to part as they reached the border of his pack’s territory.

Robert was glad that he got to run a few more minutes beside Jakub and Miroslav as a panther, the animal needing more time to deal with what had happened since yesterday and the fact that they had to deal with a murderer running around here somewhere.

Jakub and Miroslav seemed to be lost in their own thoughts as well and Robert was glad for the silence in his head, both Alphas not minding that Robert had shut them out again.

The panther wanted to be all alone right now, but he couldn’t do that yet, instead he had to keep his link with the pack open like he had promised Joshua to do, so that his pack could still feel their Alpha despite the long distance.

Jakub and Robert escorted Miroslav to the meadow where he would be meeting up with his Beta again, the two younger males waiting with him because they didn’t want to leave him all alone and risk that he suffered a similar fate as his packmate.

After a few minutes Miroslav bowed his head as a silent sign of gratitude and Robert could smell another shifter in close proximity, one with a very similar scent that indicated he was indeed of the same pack – or clan as horses prefered to say – but with a heavier note. The scent made a shiver run down Robert’s spine and he had no idea what to make of the strange feeling inside of him, like the tingling of anticipation. He shook his head in irritation, his tail flicking nervously from one side to the other and he could feel Jakub’s worried eyes on him.

Robert had no idea what was happening to him, why the panther was feeling this way all of a sudden until an animal appeared from the other side of the meadow and for the first time Robert saw _him._

The stallion trotting towards the three Alphas was absolutely beautiful, a slightly slimmer but therefore taller build than Miroslav. His fur was white and auburn, with spots that were so large they looked like dabs of paint and it was less shiny than Miroslav’s, making him look wilder than his Alpha.

Robert just couldn't stop staring, frozen in place as he watched the horse coming closer.

The stallion’s green-blue eyes instantly settled on the panther, ignoring the wolf and his own Alpha completely. The horse should be feeling fear or at least a healthy sense of anxiousness but instead he cocked his ears curiously and his pupils seemed to dilate. He stopped several feet away from them, eyes still focused on the panther alone and when Robert finally dared to inhale, the intoxicating smell filling his nose made his mouth water. He dug his claws into the ground underneath his paws as the desire to hunt filled him. A different kind of hunt than he was familiar with. Not with the intention to kill but to conquer.

He had started moving before he was even aware of his wish to step closer and he was distantly aware of the two other Alphas trying - and failing - to initiate the link to communicate with him. The stallion seemed to understand him though or maybe he was just as caught up in his mess of instincts as Robert because he turned back and started running, looking back at the panther in an inviting gesture.

Robert instantly followed him, both of them only slowly increasing their speed because it was the hunt that they were craving for, not the fight. He heard the irritated neighing of a horse and the almost panicked bark of a wolf behind him, but Robert couldn’t have turned his eyes away from the magnificent stallion even if his life had depended on it.

He was wanting, needing, burning with the desire to make the other male his, in more than only the physical way. And finally Robert understood why he was behaving this way.

Because this shifter was _the one_ . His _mate._ His _true mate._

As soon as he had grasped that thought, Robert let out a growl and picked up speed, finally chasing the galloping horse in front of him. They were both not running at full speed, their hunt too precious to end it so soon but Robert still sped up until he could brush his face against the horse’s hind legs for a brief moment.

The latter ran faster at that and increased the distance, but soon slowed down again for the panther to chase him again.

Robert had completely lost his sense of time, feeling increasingly lightheaded while he was chasing his prey, his body aching from what must have been hours of running by now. They had long ago left the territory of the packs behind and they were both panting with the effort of running. Robert’s whole body was burning with pain and his need to claim his mate when the latter finally slackened, his flanks quivering with exhaustion and his nostrils flaring.

They were in the middle of a large meadow again, the grass so high that it reached the panther’s shoulders when the stallion finally turned around to face the predator with his head held high.

Robert gathered all his remaining strength and jumped, his front paws hitting the horse’s side as hard as he still managed to. His mate fell to the side with a weak neigh and the next moment he was engulfed in a golden light.

The panther watched in fascination as exhaustion forced the shifter to turn back into his human form, the brown and white spotted horse underneath him turning into a man around Robert’s age and height with messy and right now sweat-soaked light brown hair, warm greenish blue eyes and a crooked smile on his face.

The panther stilled again as he kept lying above the younger man, his paws placed on the man’s chest and staring fascinated at the man’s face. His mate’s smile was so warm and full of kindness…

“You are beautiful,” the man said, his voice filled with awe and he reached up to run his hand down the panther’s face, no sign of fear in his eyes. Only love.

Because he knew. The horse must have known the same moment that the panther knew.

They were true mates, they belonged together.

The panther growled victoriously and then he finally allowed the human back to the surface, the panther retreating in favor of the human.

The next moment Robert leaned down towards the naked man underneath him and he closed his eyes just before their lips touched for the very first time.

 

 

\------------

 

This is a picture of Thomas (American Paint Horse) as he was very hard to describe.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dear Blue_Night,  
> You mentioned some time ago that you would like to see this story continued and I finally had time and muse to get back into this world. I have never truly lost my enthusiasm for this fic, but let's just say I was wary of continuing it. But since you were asking for it and I can never turn you down even if I wanted to (never gonna happen), I decided to write the next chapter. I also changed the title slightly to have more freedom for the possible spin-offs and since you also mentioned that you prefer me writing in the past tense, I edited all the previous chapters to change the tense. I sincerely hope you will like this chapter and that it won't disappoint. :-**

 

 

**Chapter 5**

 

Time seemed to freeze for Robert when he felt the lips of the other man upon his own, his whole body trembling with the force of their kiss. He felt like he was standing at the edge of a cliff and he was losing his fight against the storm trying to throw him down into the darkness. It was terrifying but at the same time it was intoxicating.

The other man let out a muffled whimper before opening his mouth and inviting Robert in, their tongues dancing hesitantly around each other before both men become bolder and began to fight a battle of dominance. They only broke away when the need for air became too hard to ignore, but Robert instantly dropped his head to the other man’s throat, his teeth sharpening as his panther tried to return to the surface, intent on marking this man as his forever.

But the other man used his moment of distraction to throw Robert off and reverse their positions, pinning the latter down with a lopsided grin on his face. “We can’t, not yet.”

Robert was so far gone that all he managed to reply was a disapproving growl which made a shiver of arousal run down his mate’s spine. His voice was husky when he added, “We know nothing of each other.”

Robert bared his teeth. “You are my true mate. I don’t need to know more than that.”

“I know,” the man replied softly. “But even true mates take their time in getting to know their partner before putting their claim on each other.”

He was right of course, but Robert was too far gone to listen to reason, the mere thought of his true mate choosing somebody else over him making his insides clench with fear. “Please, I need you! I need you to be part of my life!”

The man’s smile turned fond. “And I want to be, believe me. But just because we are meant to be together, doesn’t mean we would be happy like that. I just don’t want us to regret this later on, so we should wait for a little while longer. I won’t go anywhere, I promise.”

Robert closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm himself. His panther didn’t like the suggestion but he knew just as much as the human that their mate was right. A mating bond would tie them together for life with no chance of breaking up. I was perfectly normal that their mate needed some time before making such a step. Not all shifters were in need of a true mate as much as Robert was.  
“You really won't leave me without warning?” he couldn't help but ask.

The other man smiled again. “No, I won't. And I doubt I could do that even if I tried. Your heart sings to me, my beautiful panther, I can feel it deep inside my heart. You and me, we belong together. The only reason I'm hesitating is because my human side insists that I take you out for dinner once before forcing you to spend the rest of your life with me.”

For a moment Robert stared at him disbelieving then he burst out laughing. His whole body was convulsing with the force of it, his first real laugh in what felt like forever and he only stopped when he noticed his mate standing up again. Robert's laugh faded to a soft smile and he allowed his eyes to travel down the other man's naked body, memorizing each detail of his mate, the unruly hair that seemed undecided whether it wanted to be dark blond or light brown, the warm eyes that seemed to be just as undecided whether they wanted to be blue or green. There was even a bit of brown in one of them. Robert shook his head in awe.

His mate's smile faltered. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing,” Robert replied. “I just realized that you are one of a kind.”

The endearing lop-sided smile returned full-force. “You bet I am.” Then he extended his hand and pulled Robert up as soon as the latter had taken it. “You're not bad to look at either. I'd say you're a real stud, but then again we both knew who the stallion is here.”

Robert laughed again, the sound echoing loudly over the meadow and this time he gave in to the urge of sealing the other man's lips with his own and kissing him softly. He could feel long fingers at the nape of his neck, preventing him from drawing back though this was the last thing on Robert's mind right now. Their naked fronts were touching again and Robert was glad to feel the other man's arousal pressing against his abdomen, the proof that he was wanted and desired as much as he was wanting and desiring right now. Their tongues had started dancing with each other again and Robert shivered when he felt his mate's other hand at his backside now, the touch drawing an approving growl from the panther. Robert's own hands had gripped the other man's hips tightly to hold him in place and it took him a lot of effort to rein his desire in and let go. His mate whimpered when Robert drew back from the kiss and purposefully took a step back.

“You wanted us to take things slowly and I agree with you,” Robert explained to him. “You are too important to me to give in to my animal instincts yet. You deserve to be wooed properly.”

His mate nodded, a blush coloring his cheeks. “Thank you for respecting my wish. Even though I'm making it really hard for you. I underestimated the power you have over me, how much I want you to take me and make me yours.”

The admission soothed the hissing panther in Robert’s mind and with a smile he reached out for the other man’s hand. “We should go back to the others. I was too captivated by you to leave much of an explanation, so Miro and Kuba are probably thinking that I chased after you to kill you.”

His mate took his hand with a confused expression in his eyes. “Why do you want to go by foot? We would be much faster if we shifted into our animal forms.”

“I’m a big cat,” Robert replied proudly. “And I’m used to hunting down my prey, so letting my panther out might not end well for the both of us.” He paused to take in his mate’s amused grin before adding in a more serious tone, “Besides my panther is wilder and stronger than most animal shifters are. Considering how much he craves to make you ours, I might not be able to force him back again if I let him rise to the surface now.”

He had expected his mate to be appalled by what he had just admitted out loud, that his panther might be stronger than his human side, but instead the former’s expression became worried. “I’ve heard stories of shifters that lost their human side completely and became loners. What’s your story?”

Robert stopped in his tracks and bit his bottom lip anxiously. He would have to tell his mate the entire truth about his past one day, preferably before they formed a mating bond so they still had the chance to go their separate ways. But Robert couldn’t bring himself to turn away the one person that might be his salvation. “That’s a long story. I will tell you the details one day, but for now let’s just say that I witnessed something disturbing years ago and the only way I was able to process it was to spend the next few weeks as a panther. That left scars on my soul.”

His mate’s eyes widened in shock. “You never changed back into a human during all those weeks? Not even once.” When Robert shook his head, he added “What about your pack? Did your panther at least allow their comfort?”

Robert dropped his gaze to the ground. “We were hiding from them. My pain would have hurt my pack more than their worry about me, so I decided to leave them.”

“What made you change your mind?”

Robert swallowed hard. “My pack. Apparently they thought I was the rightful Alpha and they refused to give up on me. I came back to them once my panther realized that the pack was falling apart because of my selfish behavior and that it was high time I assumed responsibility and became the leader they already saw in me.”

A heavy silence settled over them for a moment, then Robert was suddenly pulled into the arms of his mate. “They were right not to give up on you. You are a good man.”

“You don’t know anything about me,” Robert tried to argue but he was taken aback by the sudden determination in his mate’s eyes. “I don’t need to know more about you to see that. You were gone, lost in the mind of your panther and you came back for your pack. Both of you did.” He cupped Robert’s face between his palms, his thumbs stroking soothingly over Robert’s cheekbones. “You are my true mate, the other half of my soul. Our hearts are destined to be beating as one and I know I could never feel the way I feel about you for someone without a good heart.”

Robert shook his head, trying to fight back against the tears in his eyes and the growing hope in his heart. “You don’t know what I did. There is more darkness in my heart than you will ever know.”

His mate leaned forward until their foreheads were touching, the kindness in his eyes not wavering in the slightest. “I’m here now. I’m here to help you fighting against it. Please don’t try to shut me out. You deserve to be saved.”

Robert closed his eyes, but he couldn’t shake off his mate’s words, things he had wanted to hear but given up long ago. He had never dared to hope that he would be one of the very few lucky people in this world who would meet their true mate one day, the one being with the power to save the human and the panther from themselves. And now he had not only found this special person, but found nothing but love and warmth in those eyes. “I don’t deserve you,” he whispered before bridging the distance between them and capturing the other man’s lips between his own again, letting all that love wash over him like a cleansing wave. This time he didn’t fight the panther as he rose to the surface, curious and desperate to get a taste of their mate as well. “Careful…,” was the last thing Robert was able to mumble against his mate’s lips before the panther was taking over. He could feel his fingernails lengthening into claws and his teeth sharpening. He could feel his mate grinning against his lips that didn’t even fade completely when the panther bit down on his lip to draw blood. The panther didn’t try to shift completely, leaving Robert’s conscience lingering right under the surface, their body still mostly human. They drew back from the kiss, watching the blood on their mate’s lip with unmistakable pride. Robert belatedly realized that his vision had changed as well, less colorful and slightly blurred at the edges, the vision of a panther at daytime.

Their mate’s amused grin turned into an adoring smile. “You have green cat’s eyes right now.” He raised one hand to the corner of their eye, taking in the sight before tilting his head. “It’s nice to make your acquaintance too, my beautiful panther. I was wondering when you would finally take a closer look at your prey considering you were the one hunting us down earlier.”

Robert was amazed when he realized their mate was talking solely to the panther this time, without feeling any fear which was remarkable considering he was a horse shifter. Their mate added in a firm tone, “From what I could tell earlier, your beauty is just as breathtaking as your human form’s is.”

The panther let out an approving growl before pushing himself against their mate’s body, encouraging him to pet their head. The human did after a short moment of surprise, ruffling Robert’s hair as one would a cat’s fur and drawing low purrs from the panther.

Robert watched it happen, feeling something akin to awe for his mate who had won over the defiant and proud panther in a heartbeat. Not only that, but the panther was longing for this touch and not rejecting it like he usually did whenever someone tried to do the same. Robert could feel a distinct pain at his tailbone that was spreading to his back, indicating the panther wanted to shift completely into his feline form. Robert surged to the surface so fast that it made his own head spin, a sharp pain briefly making him blind as his claws, teeth and eyes returned to normal.

His mate watched the change with a worried expression. “Why did you prevent the shift? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, quite the contrary,” Robert replied through clipped teeth as he tried to block out the raging panther in his mind. “Apparently my panther is just as smitten with you as I am. And trust me, if I had let him have his way now, he would not have rested until your body was covered in his marks.”

Their mate chuckled nervously. “Thank you for saving me then. Not that I don’t find the idea arousing, but as I said earlier, I’d like to spend some time with you first before forming a mating bond. Besides we have to figure out how this is going to work. You are an Alpha, your first duty is to your pack.”

“We will make it work,” Robert promised him confidently. “If I have to, I will break into your territory and abduct you in the middle of the night.”

His mate burst out laughing at that. “I don’t think that’s a good idea unless you want Miro to declare war on you. And you would do good to be afraid of our clan, I bet we have you significantly outnumbered.”

“Never underestimate a cat,” Robert retorted smugly, placing a short kiss to his mate’s lips once again before adding, “But if we don’t return to the others soon, your Alpha will have my head on a stake.”

He reached out for the other man’s hand again, but this time the latter shook his head. “I have a better idea.” And without waiting for a reply, he shifted. Robert took in the golden shower of sparks, a growing light even warmer than the sun before he suddenly found himself standing next to the speckled stallion their panther had chased earlier. The horse wasn’t as intimidatingly huge as Robert had remembered, but that might be because he was in his taller human form right now. “Why did you shift?” he asked confused, wondering how this was supposed to help them-

He realized his mate’s intention when the horse pushed his muzzle against Robert’s shoulder, making him stumble closer to the former’s flank. “You want me to ride you?” The stallion nodded, his ears turned forward encouragingly. Robert gave him a doubtful look. “I am a panther, I don’t like the thought of sitting on another animal and letting them carry me. What if I fall off your back?”

The stallion gave him an indignant look, his tail twitching to the other side with clear annoyance that Robert would have recognized as such even without the hard knock against his inner walls. Robert had barely allowed his mate to initiate the link before he already heard him scoffing in his head.

_And you think I would let you fall? Now stop being a coward and get onto my back. You will love it, I promise you._

Robert obeyed despite his panther hissing disapprovingly at the prospect of letting a bigger animal carry them while running at full speed. He pulled himself onto the horse’s back, briefly wondering where to hold on to without hurting his mate.

_I’m not made of sugar, you know._

It was all the warning Robert got before his mate started running. Instinctively he leaned forward and dug his fingernails into the long mane, his legs clasping tightly against the former’s sides. Robert barely dared to breathe while his mate was galloping back the same way they had come from, leaving behind the meadows with the large yellow flowers as they were now dashing through the woods. But after a few minutes once he had realized that he wasn’t going to fall down any time soon, Robert started to relax.

“You were right, this is so amazing. Being so fast in my human form.”

His mate neighed shortly, the excitement radiating off him almost palpable as he got to share this experience with Robert. The latter leaned forward until the side of his face was pressed against the stallion’s throat and he was able to breathe in his unique scent; sweat from the long galloping and fresh grass from when they had been making out on the meadow. Robert couldn’t help but smile confidently and just like this his last fears vanished into thin air. He never wanted this perfect moment to end, to keep on riding forever, feeling his mate’s uncontained strength beneath his thighs.

It was over far too soon when Robert could pick up on a familiar presence and suddenly he could hear a familiar voice screaming in his mind.

_Robert, where the hell are you? I swear to God if you killed that horse, I’m going to end you._

The stallion slowed down as though he was mentally talking to someone as well, so Miroslav was most likely here as well. And indeed barely half a minute later there was the sound of hooves hitting the ground and little branches breaking as something large made its way towards the uncommon pair. And then the familiar auburn horse with the white fetlock on his hind legs appeared right in front of them. He didn’t look half as furious as Robert had expected him to, freezing upon seeing Robert in his human form sitting upon his clanmate’s back. He looked more curious than anything else.

Which couldn’t be said of the smaller animal appearing behind him, the sand colored wolf not stopping upon the sight but throwing himself hard against the rider. Robert let go of his mate’s mane just in time to avoid hurting him, the large wolf colliding with him barely a second later and throwing him off the horse.

_What the hell were you thinking, Robert Lewandowski! We spent hours – hours! – searching for the two of you. I thought you had killed him!_

Robert let out a loud snarl and he used Jakub’s blinding fury to land a hard hit against his stomach, throwing the Alpha male off and rolling on top of him. “I could not kill my mate!” he hissed angrily and there was still enough sanity left inside of Robert’s mind to recognize the panther taking over, teeth and fingernails lengthening again before a searing hotness was making its way through his body.

The pain of the shift, human becoming panther.

_Stop it!_

The panther froze in mid-shift upon hearing his mate’s commanding voice in his head and turned towards him questioningly. The speckled horse’s nostrils were flared in anger, his ears laid back. There was a flash of warm golden light and the stallion was replaced by the human who had the same resolute expression on his face. “Don’t hurt him, you could never forgive yourself if you did.”

The panther shook his head angrily, the soft sparks of gold surrounding his body dimming away as he refused the shift into his feline form just like their mate had asked. _No one can dare to insult you. You are my true mate and it is my duty to protect you._

The man stepped towards Robert and the wolf trapped underneath him and watching the silent conversation with confusion. “He doesn’t know I’m your true mate, you can’t blame him for jumping to conclusion considering how completely different our animals are.”

The panther let out a sulky mew before retreating completely, handing Robert the reins again. “Thank you. That was a close call.” He reached out for his mate’s hand and squeezed it gratefully before looking back down at Jakub who hadn’t moved at all, but looked completely taken aback by the bit he had been able to understand. He was enclosed in a golden light as well and Robert had to shiver at the intimacy of feeling someone who was neither his mate nor part of his pack shift right underneath his hands, presenting himself so vulnerable to a fellow Alpha.

The next moment he was not holding down a wolf any longer but a man. “You mean to tell me this is your mate? Your _true mate_? You have got to be kidding me!”

Robert narrowed his eyes warningly. “Why would I be joking about something like this?”

“Because how is this even supposed to work? A horse and a panther?” There was an angry snarl in Jakub’s voice as he said that.

His strong reaction surprised Robert so much that he couldn’t even be properly angry. “We don’t need to have sex to form a mating bond. And besides we can still mate in our human forms.” He didn’t know what to make of the pained look in Jakub’s eyes, an expression he had never seen in them before.

But then he felt a hand at his shoulder and he looked up to find an unreadable expression in his mate’s eyes, his nostrils flaring in a similar manner they had done in his horse form. “His scent is all over you. I wasn’t aware of it earlier because I thought it was your own, but I was wrong.”

Robert bit his lip. “You’re right. Kuba and I shared some privileges to keep my panther docile.” He didn’t have to explain anything more, he could tell from the way his mate’s body went rigid that he understood the implications. Robert, Jakub and Miroslav didn’t dare to say a word as they watched him deal with the news. Robert could feel an unnerving drumming in his head, his mate trying to suppress his anger that would cut off their link and carefully he said, “You don’t have to keep the link with me open if would like to have some time to yourself. I would understand.”

His mate shook his head. “No, I’ll be fine. I know you had no other choice and obviously I was aware you must have had past lovers. I just didn’t expect them to be so… recent.”

Seeing the insecurity in his eyes Robert let go of Jakub and stood up to approach his mate carefully. “Kuba and I are friends and I’m grateful for what he did for me. But now that I have found my true mate, we are both free to go our separate ways.”

The insecurity turned into doubt. “I’m not so sure. Shapeshifters are born for mates they want to spend the rest of their life with or one night stands. There is no in between. And from what I can tell, whatever you two shared was more than a one-time thing. You already started to bond.”

However it was Jakub who answered. “You are right, my reaction to you should be proof enough. And for that I’m sorry, it was not my intention to bind myself to someone. All I wanted was to save an Alpha I care about from his own demons. But I don’t need to do that now that you are here. If there is someone who can save him, then it is you. I’m counting on you.” He got up then, slowly stepping away from the two men and closer to Miroslav's side.

Robert captured his gaze. “We will talk on our drive back home, alright?” Jakub nodded before looking expectantly at the Alpha horse that was briefly communicating with his clanmate through their link before tentatively knocking at Robert's mind as well.

 _The sun is setting. We have to return to our clans, they have gone without their Alpha and Beta for almost a whole day now. And you should head back to your own packs as well._ Miroslav took a step forward, pushing his forehead against Robert's chest. _You are welcome to visit us any time you like. As strange as it may sound, but you are part of the Nightflower Horses now._

“A Nightflower Panther if you will,” Robert's mate added with a cheeky grin before joining his Alpha's side, leaning forward to kiss Robert softly. The latter melted into the kiss, trying to savor his mate's taste until the next time they would see each other. When they parted Robert was about to follow Jakub when his mate called after him, “Hold on, I don't even know your name.”

Robert almost stumbled over his feet as he realized that not once had they bothered to ask about names. They had been much too busy making grand love confessions. “It's Robert, Robert Lewandowski.”

His mate smiled. “The name suits you. I'm Thomas Müller.”

Thomas. Robert tried the name out on his tongue while he was watching Thomas – _his_ Thomas – turn back into the proud horse, both stallions galloping off into the sunset.

Robert watched them until they were out of sight before turning back again. To his irritation Jakub was looking at him with an amused grin.

“What?”

The blond shook his head. “You already made out with him and pledged your undying love for this man and you didn't even know his name. Classic, Lewy, absolutely classic.”

Robert bared his teeth at him even though he could feel heat rising in his cheeks. “Oh, shut up, will you?!” He could hear Jakub laughing after him for the rest of the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just couldn't resist making fun of Robert and Thomas for not even introducing themselves to each other before making out. ;-)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry for not answering to comments on my other stories until now, but my computer is not very cooperative at the moment and it took me three hours to upload this already written chapter. I will write answers as soon as I am able to.
> 
> Please not that I changed a minor detail about the third chapter: Joshua is no longer Manuel's brother as it was the case in the original version but merely living with him because his parents are dead. Let's say I have thought about a possible spin-off that required Manu and Jo not being brothers... ;-)  
> Also, no Thomas in this chapter.

 

 

**Chapter 6**

 

_Lex building, Brussel_

 

“Thank you for your detailed lecture, Mr Robben.”

Arjen nodded towards the chairman Jürgen Klinsmann before returning to his own seat. He had only been to a meeting of the council thrice in his seventeen year long career but he knew the situation had to be more serious than he had expected. The eight members of the council had listened to him attentively while he was explaining the case of the murder to them. Arjen had wondered why this was so important when he had received the call from Jürgen yesterday, urging him to take the next flight to Brussel. Surely the Human Safety Council had more important things to discuss than a murder case. But what he had got from the earlier discussion was that the horse shifter’s death hadn’t been an isolated case. There had been four other cases, the first two here in Brussel two months ago, a third one in Dortmund last month and the last one a hundred miles east of Berlin two weeks ago. Shapeshifters murdered and all traces leading towards other shifters…

The man sitting next to Arjen – Pep Guardiola – leaned forward. “But how sure can we be that these cases are truly connected? According to Mr. Robben the recent murder was committed by a cougar yet the Alphas all seemed hesitant to believe that. They described an iron smell at the corpse, underneath the cougar scent. But the shifter scents clinging to the bodies from Brussel belonged to a lion, the one from Dortmund to a tiger and the one from Berlin to a leopard. All of them from different packs. How can we be sure that this isn’t one of those shifter things? It’s not uncommon among them to kill others of their kind for various reasons, be it territory or lovers.”

Arjen had to agree. He still didn’t see how these murders had to be necessarily connected. At his other side Joachim Löw stood up. “Why don’t we incorporate the shapeshifters as well? No one of us has an idea of how clan hierarchies among shapeshifters work, so if we want to have a better insight into the way they think, we should schedule a meeting with the Alphas of the most powerful clans of Europe.”

His suggestion was met with mixed reactions, the seven other members arguing about the pro and contra of giving secret information to these half-animals. Ancelotti, Guardiola, Tuchel and Klinsmann seemed to be hesitant while the four others – Löw, Mourinho, Heynckes and Klopp – were all for it. In the end it was the chairman Klinsmann who had to make the decision.

“Alright, we will invite the most powerful Alphas for one meeting and see how cooperative they are. José, please make a list with either the clans with most members or the ones who do the most lucrative business. And add the packs whom the victims belong to, their Alphas should be very eager to help us.”

Mourinho nodded. “I will show it to you in the evening and then send out the invitations.”

Guardiola turned towards Arjen. “You said only one of the Alphas was able to detect the iron smell that lead them towards one of the cougar’s houses?”

Arjen nodded. “Robert Lewandowski, the Alpha of the RedMountain Leopards.”

“I think we should invite him too, perhaps show him the other corpses?” Pep suggested. “Maybe he can pick up on something we or the other shifters have missed.” Mourinho raised his hand. “Well, as far as I know Lewandowski’s law agency is one of the most profitable companies run by a shapeshifter in Poland. So I would have added him to the list anyway. Be careful with him though, he has earned his respect among all shapeshifters by singlehandedly destroying a whole pack within one night. Intelligent as well as violent is not a combination to mess with.”

Arjen could see repulsion in the faces of most other council members, the natural reaction of humans whenever they were reminded of what shapeshifters were capable of. Guardiola however merely smiled at his colleague. “No need to worry about me, José. You forget that Lewandowski is not only panther but also human and the latter side can be reasoned with. And I have a suggestion to make that his panther may not like but the human will probably agree to.”

Mourinho and Klinsmann looked like they already knew what the Spaniard was talking about, the others however seemed curious until Tuchel asked, “What kind of suggestion?”

Guardiola shot a sidelong glance to Arjen. “I would like to discuss this without any outsiders.”

Klinsmann nodded. “Mr. Robben, we thank you for your input, you were of great help. You can wait outside until my secretary has organized a chauffeur that will bring you back to the hotel.”

“It was my pleasure, sir,” Arjen replied before standing up and walking out of the room. He couldn’t completely shake off the feeling that the decision that was about to made in there would affect more lives than he was aware of at the moment…

 

_Warsaw_

 

It had been early morning by the time Robert and Jakub had made it back to Philipp’s house and they both had needed some sleep first before they would be able to drive back home without falling asleep. But despite his exhaustion from the hunt for the murderer and then the chase for his true mate, it took Robert a long time to succumb to sleep, his panther too excited to grant him peace of mind. Only when a very grumpy Jakub had turned into his wolf form and bit down on his wrist, prompting the panther to hiss at him annoyed, did Robert finally give in to sleep.

It was late afternoon by the time both Alphas were ready to leave the house, both of them well rested and showered. Robert couldn’t help but notice that Jakub was awfully quiet throughout the entire time they were eating and then saying their goodbyes to Philipp and Nuri.

He allowed the older Alpha to pull him down into a firm hug. “I’m sure we will see each other again soon, Robert. Take good care of yourself and your pack.”

“I will,” Robert assured him before turning towards the other cougar who was eying him attentively. Robert hesitated for barely a second before putting his arms around Nuri and pulling him tightly against his chest in a protective manner. “Take your time processing everything that has happened. None of this was your fault and as long as you stay close to Philipp, nothing bad will happen to you.”

Nuri nodded gratefully, returning the embrace before eventually letting go. As soon as they had parted Erik stepped forward, a warm smile on his face. “Thank you, Robert. Not only for helping us but also for believing in Nuri’s innocence even when all evidence was pointing against him. I won’t forget that.” He proceeded to pull Robert into a hug as well and the Alpha was amazed at how much had changed between them within one day, no trace of wariness left in Erik’s body language. Robert’s panther let the touch happen for two seconds before making his discomfort known, urging Robert to let go again. “It was my first duty as an Alpha to prove Nuri’s innocence. You would have done the same for me.” He wasn’t completely sure of that, but Erik’s smile didn’t waver in the slightest before the young Beta turned his attention to Jakub.

Robert took a step towards the last person in the room, finding Philipp eying him with unmistakable curiosity. “I’m so happy that you found your true mate, Robert. We have been so worried of what you could have become and what that would mean for our packs, but now we know you will be alright. I have known Thomas for years and there is no one better to save you than him, of that I’m sure.”

Robert felt a tug at the corner of his mouth when he thought of his wonderful mate. “You’re right. I was so sure I would have to leave my pack for their own safety one day. Now that I have met my true mate though, I know that no matter what happens, I will be alright in the end.”

They embraced each other as well before Robert walked through the door and approached the familiar blue car standing in the driveway. This time he couldn’t help an amused chuckle when he saw the crest on the  grill .

“What’s so funny about my car?” Jakub asked from behind, sounding deeply offended.

“Nothing,” Robert replied still grinning. “I just realized I seem to have a type.”

Jakub stared at him uncomprehending until Robert pointed towards the silver Mustang crest. “Apparently I have a thing for horses.” To his surprise Jakub didn’t laugh, his expression darkening instead as he tore open the door and got into his car with something akin to resentment in his eyes. Frowning at the strange reaction Robert got into the passenger seat. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing!” Jakub retorted with a hiss, starting the engine instead of elaborating.

Robert kept looking at him wondering what he had done to upset the other Alpha until it dawned on him and he reached for Jakub’s hand on the steering wheel. “Kuba, just because I have found my mate now doesn’t mean I will just throw you aside.”

“Why not?” Kuba retorted with a strained voice. “The only reason we had sex was to keep your panther from giving in to madness. You have found your true mate now, so obviously you don’t need me anymore.”

Robert felt like he had been slapped in the face by Jakub’s harsh words even though he knew the other man was only lashing out at him to protect himself. He kept his voice carefully neutral when he ordered, “Pull over. Now.”

Jakub gave him a confused sidelong glance before obeying, bringing the car to a halt in the middle of nowhere, nothing but trees wherever they looked. Carefully Robert removed his seatbelt, ignoring the way his panther hissed at him angrily and leaning over towards the Alpha.

“Lewy, what the hell-” was all Jakub managed to say before Robert had sealed his lips with his own. Jakub hesitated for a long moment before finally giving in, wrapping his arms around Robert’s torso and pulling him closer to deepen the kiss. Robert ignored the discomfort of feeling the gearshift poking against his stomach in favor of fighting back against Jakub’s tongue invading his cavern. A small part of him was wondering if he was doing the right thing here – he had just found his true mate after all – but something told him that Thomas would understand. It struck Robert a moment later that this was the first time he was kissing Jakub, their previous encounters only containing sex between their two animals. They had barely touched each other in their human forms and not shared any intimacy at all up to this point. And yet he knew that Jakub needed this reassurance badly, that what they had shared meant more to Robert than only sex. This time he allowed the older man to take charge, even his panther only making low growls somewhere in the back of his head as though he actually wanted to comfort the insecure wolf as much as Robert did. Jakub let out a snarl as he pulled back for air, pressing Robert back into his seat.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” he whispered in a husky voice, sounding as though it took him a lot of effort to keep himself in control. “You have just found your true mate, I shouldn’t want you anymore.”

“We bonded,” Robert argued instantly. “I would never ask you to stay away from me overnight. I would only hurt you with that.” When Jakub still didn’t look convinced, he added in a softer tone, “I may have found my true mate now, but you are still special to me. You helped me even though I was a rival Alpha and I know this hasn’t been easy for you. Please let me help you now.”

Jakub’s lips ghosted lightly over Robert’s jawbone. “I will still have skin privileges? Even though I’m not part of your pack?”

“You may not be part of my pack, but you still belong to us now,” Robert announced in a determent voice. “Our packs are forever connected and I will forever be in your debt, Kuba. I would give my life for you.”

Jakub let out a growl and Robert winced at the feel of sharp claws digging into his shoulder. “No, you won’t! You would break Thomas if you got yourself killed, so you better watch out for yourself. He deserves his true mate looking after himself.”

“I have never seen it from that perspective,” Robert admitted as he tried to imagine what his death would do to Thomas. Of course his pack would mourn him as well, but Mats would become their Alpha and they would somehow move on. But not Thomas. Losing a true mate meant losing a part of themselves and most shifters never got over that loss. Most loners had become the way they were after losing their mate. Robert didn’t want to imagine how much worse the loss of their _true mate_ had to be…

The clicking of Jakub removing his seatbelt as well interrupted his thoughts and the next moment the older Alpha was looming above him, a sense of desperation in the way he kissed Robert again. The latter let it happen without protest, knowing they both needed the touch but at the same time he was wondering how to proceed with Jakub. Robert would soon mate with Thomas, so breaking his bond with Jakub would be a lot easier for him, the blond Alpha on the other hand would suffer for months. 

“We will find a way,” he assured Jakub in between kisses even though it was just an empty promise for now. “I will talk to Thomas.”

Jakub didn’t respond, his fingers pulling up the hem of Robert’s jersey to touch his abs. Robert suppressed a shiver, being able to feel how deeply upset the Alphas was and that his wolf was right underneath the surface. Jakub’s hands caressed Robert’s hips in rapt devotion, his touch remaining feather light, but Robert could still feel the tips pf his claws, a reminder how vulnerable he was right now, a single slash of Jakub’s hand enough to hurt him severely. But he only grabbed the older one’s wrist to stop him when that hand wandered deeper towards his waistband.

“Kuba, we can’t,” he reminded the blond and gently pushed against his chest to make him stop. “Kissing can be part of skin privileges when the two shifters are close but not sex. You know that as much as I do.”

Jakub pulled back with a sigh. “Yes, I know and I’m sorry. It’s just that I’m not used to losing something precious to a lower-ranking shifter.” 

He had said the words almost nonchalantly, but Robert still got the actual meaning. “You are important to me too, Kuba. And that will never change, I promise you that.”

He put one last tender kiss to the older one’s lips before releasing them. “Let us head back to our packs now.”

Jakub nodded after a moment and resumed driving, a comfortable silence settling over the two men for the next two hours. It was only when they passed the invisible border to the territory of the RedMountain Leopards that Jakub finally spoke again. “They must have sensed that their Alpha is close by, you already have a welcoming committee.”

He was right. Robert could feel tentative warmth spreading through he shared with all of his packmates, something he was used to feeling every day when he was with him. He only noticed that it was there once he returned to them. Robert turned his head to Jakub’s side and on the large hill they were just passing, he immediately saw what the other Alpha had meant: A beautiful sleek leopard was dashing over the grass playfully, doing his best to keep up with the speed of the car. Excitement was radiating off him and Robert didn’t even need to initiate the link to know who it was, the pattern of the male’s fur familiar to him ever since the latter had been born. 

Joshua.

A soft smile spread on Robert’s face upon seeing the youngster and he felt the urge to jump out of the car and shift as well, to run and hunt side by side with the leopard.

As though sensing his thoughts Jakub suddenly grabbed his wrist. “No, you stay here with me otherwise your friends will attack me for trespassing.”

“No, they wouldn’t,” Robert argued confidently. “You have my scent all over you and besides, my pack wouldn’t harm you without a very good reason. Not every pack is as feared for their cruelty as the BloodRiver Wolves.”

Jakub snorted in amusement. “Says the panther whose mere name makes every Alpha in this world shudder with fear.”

“Not every Alpha,” Robert remarked with a wink.

Jakub’s grin became cocky. “Oh, Lewy, the first time I saw you, I shuddered as well. Though for completely other reasons than fear, believe me.”

Robert laughed softly as he watched a black panther join Joshua’s side. Jakub frowned. “I thought you and Mats were the only panthers in your pack? But this one is smaller than Mats.”

“This is Marc,” Robert responded. “He was not born into our pack but joined us with his brother Thiago two years ago. They came to us after they disobeyed the Alpha of their pack and were exiled as punishment.”

“That’s a punishment for murder or betrayal, not for disobedience!” Jakub growled angrily. “There is nothing wrong in having a different opinion than your Alpha. Grzegorz and I are constantly fighting but I would never think of exiling him.”

Robert nodded in agreement. “I couldn’t imagine doing this to one of my packmates either. But not every pack is as strong and caring as ours are.”

They were pulling up in front of Robert’s house a minute later and Robert could see two tall human silhouettes waiting for them underneath one of the trees at the edge of the forest. 

Robert unbuckled and opened the door before turning back to Jakub. “Do you want to join us for an hour or two? Manu is an amazing cook and you must be hungry.”

“Thank you, but I’d prefer to get back to my own pack as soon as possible,” Jakub rejected the offer. “And I guess you have enough explaining to do as it is even without telling them about our skin privileges.”

“I guess you’re right,” Robert replied. “Just let me know if you need anything.” 

He shut the door then, waving goodbye to the other Alpha before approaching the two waiting men. He didn’t get very far though before he could hear excited mewling and a moment later Joshua was circling his legs.

Robert smiled down at him, the urge to shift so strong now that his vision was changing into the one of his panther and he made a quiet rumbling sound. “I've missed you too, Jo!” He reached out to ruffle the fur behind the latter's ears, giving him the touching he needed while his eyes were darting towards the panther standing hesitantly at the side and waiting for his turn.

“Come here, Marc,” Robert ordered him gently, knowing by now that the beautiful male wanted to touch him as badly as Joshua did, but wouldn't never dare to take what he needed freely. The pack he and his brother had grown up in had been strict and no member had been allowed to touch the Alpha without explicit permission. Marc had never quite shaken off that rule and so it was upon Robert to see that he got what he needed. Marc's face lit up as he came closer, pushing his head against Robert's shin and making a low purring sound. Robert knelt down to shower both males with his attention, grateful that his own panther didn't object this time. Marc was rubbing himself against Robert's thigh while Joshua licking his cheek in an affectionate gesture when the two humans finally moved closer to greet their Alpha as well. Robert stood up again to embrace them, closing his eyes to inhale their scents. Manuel's scent had always made him feel safe and protected, something he wasn't used to as an Alpha. Mats on the other hand had the scent of various humans on him and Robert pulled back with a frown.

He didn't even need to voice his question, Mats responded right away. “Arjen and a member of the Human Safety Council were here earlier today.”

That made all alarm bells go off in Robert's head. The council was mostly concerned with human matters and rarely took interest in shapeshifters. “What did they want?”

“They wouldn't tell,” Mats replied. “But they invited you as our Alpha for an urgent meeting in three days. They say they might have useful information on Auba's death.”

Robert hissed in response. “Then we will be there. I'll talk to Arjen about this, he seems to be a human I can talk with. But there is something else that I would like the pack to know before I leave. Something about me.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't mean to update this story anytime soon because I have too many other things to catch up on already, but I really missed my shapeshifters and I figured writing a few lines couldn't hurt. As you can see, a few lines turned into a massive chapter. I guess I just really needed this.

 

**Chapter 7**

 

“Your true mate?” Thiago repeated with wide eyes.

Robert nodded silently, his eyes scanning the room for the reactions of his packmates. They had all gathered in Manuel’s living room, nine young men, two women and Jupp, their only elder, sitting either on the couch or the floor and staring up at him with both awe and disbelief. Of course Robert’s story was hard to believe, true mates were almost unheard of and there had never been such a case in the RedMountain pack before. 

It was almost too good to be true that it would be the most dangerous of them who would find his true mate. Robert had not expected that the news would go down smoothly.

Thiago stood up from his seat and walked towards Robert with unusual determination, pushing his head against his Alpha’s chest before Robert had even realized what he was about to do. Robert blinked in confusion when he suddenly had the smaller man in his arms, their fronts firmly aligned. Just like his brother Marc, Thiago was more careful with touching packmates and had always asked Robert for permission, no matter how badly he needed his Alpha.

Robert wasn’t sure though what confused him more, Thiago’s strange behavior or the reaction of the others, several of them looking at him as though they could not believe what they were seeing. What exactly was so unbelievable about an Alpha holding a packmate in their arms?

He got his answer when Thiago eventually pulled back. “You didn’t reject me. Even though I didn’t warn you of what I was about to do, you didn’t even tense.”

At that Robert realized what Thiago had been expecting to get and he felt guilt tug at his heart for how obvious he had been, that his whole pack had noticed how many problems their Alpha had with skin privileges these days.

A warm smile appeared on Thiago’s face as he stared up at Robert. “So your future mate is really doing you good, hm? If you can easily accept our touching now. How did he do that?”

Robert shrugged his shoulders even while the mere thought of his wonderful mate filled his heart with warmth. “I don’t know. When he touched me for the first time, my panther did not think once of rejecting him. Quite the contrary, I could barely stop us from tearing Thomas’ clothes off and completing our bond right then and there.”

It was a very intimate thing to admit out loud but he was surrounded by his pack and they needed to know. They had worried so much about their Alpha and deserved to know that his salvation was in reach.

His attention was drawn to Anna who had stepped closer to him, her watchful eyes taking in every little detail of his reaction. “I don’t think we need to get any details of your make out session but you haven’t told us what kind of shifter he is? One of the cougars? I mean you met somewhere in their territory.”

She had hit the nail on the pin. Robert had been anxious to tell his packmates because they would never understand. Shapeshifters were generally open-minded to all kinds of relationships – and how could they not considering the strange ways destiny was taking sometimes? But a horse taming a feral panther? 

He swallowed nervously before finally replying, “He is the Beta of the Nightflower Horses.”

It was completely silent in the room as his packmates were waiting for him to explain, to add something that would make this situation less ridiculous. Manuel was the first to speak. “And does he only  _belong_ to the Nightflower Horses or  _is_ he a horse?”

Robert straightened as he prepared himself for backlash. “The most beautiful stallion I have ever laid eyes upon.”

Manuel shared a quick look with Mats beside him who had remained quiet until now. He was perhaps the one whose reaction Robert had been most nervous about. Because Mats was his Beta, the highest-ranking member of this pack after Robert and his opinion would have significant influence on those of the others. And despite – or maybe because – how close they were, Robert was not sure that Mats would approve of Robert finding his true mate. Mats had made no secret of his own feelings for Robert and in theory he would be a perfect match. He was strong, intelligent, a leopard and most importantly the Beta of their pack. He and Robert would be the definition of power couple, a text book mating arrangement.

And if it hadn’t been for Kuba offering his help and now Thomas, Robert would have most likely agreed to this one day. He knew his pack loved him so dearly that they would do absolutely anything to save him. And a mating bond with one of their own must have been one of the first things that had come to their minds when they had realized how bad Robert was.

However Mats merely walked up to him with an unreadable expression and with a lot more hesitancy than Thiago he embraced Robert. The Alpha held on to him without second thought, knowing exactly what his Beta was doing when he could sense him drawing deep breaths.

“You smell different” Mats said with conviction. “Of warmth and comfort. And horse obviously.” That drew soft chuckles from their packmates who were patiently waiting for Mats to go on. “And your end of the link is wide open for me. You are not even thinking about rejecting me.” He stepped back, a soft expression on his face. “I would very much like to meet the man who has made you and your panther feel this way.”

Robert felt like a weight was being lifted off his chest and he raised his hand to grip his Beta’s neck affectionately. “And you will. Thank you, Mats.”

It was as though the ice had been broken, all of his packmates suddenly crowding Robert and seeking his touch, their fingers trailing lightly over his sides and arms, several of them hugging him too in an obvious attempt to smell Thomas on his skin. To be honest, it was highly amusing.

It took Robert almost half an hour to finally get rid of his much too curious packmates and he was glad when he could finally bid goodnight to Manuel. 

Mats was walking beside him while they were making their way to the street where they both were living in. Robert noticed that Mats was more quiet than usual, something clearly on his mind but he waited until his Beta started speaking of his own accord.

“I could smell Kuba on you again.”

Robert tensed even though he should have seen this coming. He had made out with the wolf in the limited space of a car only hours ago and he hadn’t showered since then. He contemplated for a moment what to say but Mats was the only one of their pack who knew about Robert and Kuba sharing skin privileges, so he was the only one Robert could talk to about this. “It seems that we accidentally bonded. Not a permanent one but strong enough to make things complicated.”

“Between you and Thomas?” Mats asked tentatively.

“No, between me and Kuba. Thomas already knows about the bond, he was the one to point it out to us.” When he saw the surprise in Mats’ eyes, he hurried to add. “He can guess how badly I needed Kuba, that’s why he wasn’t as jealous as he would have the right to be. But it’s difficult for Kuba. I think he has become more attached to me than he ever anticipated.”

Mats nodded. “I suppose that I can understand this better than anybody else. Just like I understand why you don’t want to hurt Kuba by severing your bond with him. But you need to figure out how to proceed with him. We shifters can have many lovers but only one mate. You shouldn’t give Kuba false hope.”

“I know,” Robert responded with a heavy sigh. “But I was hoping I could wait with cutting off our bond until he has found his mate as well.”

“That could take years, Robert. It’s honorable of you that you are trying to save Kuba that kind of pain but can you do that to Thomas?”

Robert dropped his gaze to the ground, feeling as though the conflict of interest was tearing his heart apart. Thomas was the love of his life, his destiny yet Kuba had become important to him too. The blond Alpha had helped him when he had needed it the most and Robert didn’t want to break his heart. “I don’t know, Mats. I know whatever I’m doing here, it’s wrong. But I have no idea how to fix this mess.”

He was grateful for the arms coming around him and for once he allowed himself to be vulnerable in the presence of another packmate, burying his face against the crook of his Beta’s neck and inhaling his comforting scent. Mats’ voice was a quiet whisper. “I’m sure you will figure it out. Somehow you always do.” He pulled back to take Robert’s face between his palms and he leaned forward to place a reassuring kiss to the Alpha’s lips. “Now go and get some rest, you had an exhausting day.”

Robert nodded and parted ways with him, walking up the way leading to his front door. He shed his clothes in record time and as soon as he fell on top of the covers, he was sound asleep.

 

***

 

Robert awoke the following morning to the sound of his phone ringing. He was feeling cold when he realized that he was alone in his bed even though he should be used to that by now. And yet he yearned for his mate’s touch, the mere idea of waking up to Thomas’ crooked smile each morning making his insides coil with anticipation. The thought that this dream would soon be reality made him smile and finally he climbed off the bed and reached for his phone. The familiar number however made him frown.

“Yes?”

“ _Good morning, Robert,”_ Philipp greeted him instantly. _“I’m sorry for calling at such an early hour, but it’s about the murder case and I figured you would like to know right away.”_

Robert was wide awake instantly. “What is it? Did something happen?”

“ _No, fortunately not. But Arjen told us that additional reports of the laboratory came in and they confirmed what we were suspecting all along. The marks on Auba’s corpse are those of a shifter, not an animal.”_

Robert wasn’t surprised about this, but it still unsettled him that another shifter was indeed the one responsible for this murder. He could sense that Philipp wasn’t done yet. “Alright, what else?”

“ _According to Arjen there are more cases of killed shifters. Auba is already the fifth victim in the last two months, all of them killed in different territories by different shifters.”_

Robert almost dropped his phone in shock, human and panther both recoiling at the mere thought of so many slaughtered shifters. “My God. That’s awful.”

“ _There is one more thing,”_ Philipp admitted and Robert had to ask himself what bad news Philipp could still have in store for him. _“The traces on Auba’s body are definitely from a cougar.”_

Robert swallowed and he felt sympathy for the other Alpha. It must be a horrible thought to know that one of his own pack must have done this. “Perhaps it was an accident. Maybe your packmate was fighting with Auba and things escalated. And when they realized what had happened, they were too ashamed to tell you.”

“ _Yes, maybe.”_ Philipp didn’t sound convinced though. _“Since I am the Alpha, the police have taken me into custody and are questioning me about every single member of my pack.”_

Robert winced at the implication. Locking up a shifter in a closed room was already bad enough, but questioning an Alpha about his pack was worse. Shapeshifters liked their privacy and only the Alphas and Betas were registered at the Police stations of humans. Many people viewed shifters as wild animals therefore the latter had insisted that no records would be kept about their true nature. They wanted to be treated equally and when Robert noticed the way many humans looked at him, he understood. He was the infamous, bloodthirsty Alpha of the RedMountain Leopards, of course many of them were afraid to just cross his way.

Robert understood why Philipp wanted to protect his packmates’ privacy. But on the other hand they would most likely have to tell the police if they wanted the murderer to get caught. “You need to give them the names, Philipp. The safety of all packs is more important right now, I’m sure your pack will understand.”

“ _I know, that’s not why I called you. It’s just that I will most likely be held here until they have the murderer and I would like someone to stand up for my pack during the meeting with the Human Safety Council.”_

Robert stilled. He hadn’t thought about that. “I will. Erik can take care of your pack, they will need someone to guide them during such a difficult time. And I will speak for you during the meeting.”

“ _Thank you,”_ Philipp exclaimed in relief. _“That’s all I wanted to hear. You should contact Erik soon to get his approval. I have to go now, Arjen is already waiting for me.”_

He ended the call then and slowly Robert placed his phone on his nightstand, thinking about what he had just heard. He couldn’t believe that a member of Philipp’s pack was able to commit such a dreadful atrocity. He could only hope that the humans would be able to find out something more, otherwise they would have to go for the most obvious choice. The shifter at whose home all traces had ended…

The panther inside of him growled, unable to believe that Nuri could have done this. All evidence was pointing against the handsome young man but the panther refused to see reason. There had been kindness and honesty in the cougar’s pale green eyes. Those were not the eyes of a cold-blooded killer.

Robert nodded in agreement to the panther’s thoughts and trudged over into the bathroom to take a cold shower. When he had eventually dressed himself, he called Mats and Manuel to let them know that he would leave the territory in their care again before ringing up Joshua and his third Guardian Xabi to ask them if they would like to join him on his trip. It had been a while since he had last been in their company for a longer time and the hours spent together would strengthen his bond with them. They agreed to meet him at the border of their territory.

He decided to go by foot, needing the calm of nature to help dealing with the distressing news he had just received. He found himself thinking of Thomas again, the urge to change direction and search for his mate almost too strong to withstand. But then he thought of Jakub and the messed-up situation that they were in and he made a choice. 

He was climbing up the rocks at the border of their territory before he had even become aware of it, entering a landscape he usually avoided: large meadows with nothing but grass and the occasional tree here and there. The newly claimed territory of the Nightflower Horses. He was a panther and he liked the shelter the forest was offering him but he could appreciate the beauty of this place nevertheless, from the colorful flowers blooming everywhere to the warmth of the sun shining onto his black fur. He didn’t have to search for long, his ears picking up on the sound of a galloping horse group long before he was able to see them. 

Robert noted that Thomas hadn’t been exaggerating when he had claimed that they had the leopards outnumbered, because there were over two dozens of them galloping towards the mountain. Robert shifted instantly, his panther glad to be able to greet their mate first. Silently he made his way to the bushes a few feet to his right, where the wind was blowing into his face, making it almost impossible for the horses to pick up on his scent. Not that Robert was planning on actually attacking them. As Miroslav had stated, he was a part of this clan now as well. Thomas was his mate and that would inevitably forge a bond between their packs. 

His eyes settled on the male horse leading his clanmates, the form by now familiar to Robert. He found himself wondering if the panther had somehow known all along that Miroslav was the Alpha of his true mate, it would definitely explain their great fascination with the Nightflower Alpha. The panther became still all of sudden when his gaze shifted to one of the horses closest to him, the sight of the tall stallion still taking his breath away. Thomas’ fur was glistening with sweat from exertion but his eyes were still sparkling attentively, eager to run further and faster.

Robert could detect the exact moment when Thomas somehow became aware of his presence, the stallion’s gallop slowing down to a comfortable trot before he broke free from the group and came over towards the panther’s hiding place.

Robert remained sitting, his tail twitching with joy while he was waiting for his mate to come find him. Thomas came to a stand right in front of the bush and Robert finally revealed himself, circling his mate’s legs and rubbing himself against them, a low purr vibrating in his chest.

Thomas watched him do so for a moment before initiating the link.  _You are aware that I would only have to raise my hoof once in order to crush your skull, right?_

Robert met his gaze and pointedly started licking Thomas’ right fetlock. _Of course I am aware what you are capable of._

Thomas neighed fondly.  _And of course you don’t care. What do I do with you, my beautiful panther?_

_You could walk with me for a while,_ Robert suggested even though he was halfway expecting his mate to turn him down. 

After all he was the Beta of a large pack, he must have duties to fulfill. Thomas looked over to his Alpha who was watching them from some distance, the two of them apparently communicating through their link because Miroslav turned away and resumed galloping with the other horses on his heels.

Then the younger one disappeared in a rain of golden sparks. Robert licked his mouth at the sight of his naked mate in his human form, his quivers twitching at the strong feelings it aroused in him. Robert tried to take back control from the panther as well, but of course his animal side wouldn’t budge that easily and Robert was forced to watch in silence as the panther made a leap, pushing their mate down onto his back.

Thomas let out a surprised sound when he suddenly found himself with a large, heavy black cat sitting on top of him. Their positions were similar to the moment when they had first met and the panther had successfully caught his prey, but the intention was clearly different: The panther mewed contently and stretched out on top of Thomas, covering his whole length as best as he could before starting to lick over his chest and up towards his throat.

Thomas laughed softly, clearly amused by the panther’s antics. “My panther seems rather impatient today. And as much as I would like for you to claim me inside out, I need to remind you that Robert promised to take me out for dinner first.” The panther huffed indignantly before resuming his task of licking along Thomas’ chin.

Not that the human gave up that easily. Gently he took the panther’s face between his hands and pulled him back until they were able to look into each other’s eyes. “And it’s what I want too.”

The panther stilled at that and Robert was taken aback by the hurt he could feel from his animal side. Thomas must have seen it as well because he added. “This is not about me liking the human Robert better than you, my panther. I love you just as much, don’t you doubt that.” And as if to undermine his words, he placed a soft kiss to the panther’s mouth. Robert opened his mouth on instinct as one would to return a human kiss but he had forgotten why this was a bad idea until Thomas flinched at the feel of sharp fangs against his lips. 

The panther let out an embarrassed mewl at having upset his mate and before Robert could react, he was thrown back to the surface, his human form now covering Thomas’. The Beta looked just as perplexed at the sudden shift. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No,” Robert responded. “We were just worried about hurting you.” He leaned down, kissing Thomas with tongue like he had actually meant to earlier before smiling down at the man underneath him. “Good morning, darling.”

Thomas chuckled and shook his head. “The two of you are really throwing me for a loop with your mood switches. The panther wants to eat me up and you want to be all sweet and romantic.”

Robert grinned. “The way we express ourselves might be different but let me assure you that the panther and I have the same desires, at least when it comes to you.”

He could feel the shiver running down Thomas’ spine even before the latter replied. “If this is supposed to turn me on, then you’re doing a damn good job of that.”

They kissed again long and ardently until their arousals became too much to ignore. Robert was about to roll off his mate when Thomas made him stop. “No, wait. I don’t think I can make it through one more day without  _this.”_

He didn’t explain what ‘this’ implied, merely reversing their positions before sliding down along Robert’s form, his hands gripping the dark-haired man’s hips tightly before taking him into his mouth. Robert had been prepared for many things but not this, a loud gasp escaping him at the sensation of Thomas’ wet tongue on his cock.

“Thomas, what are you doing?”

His mate didn’t pull off, merely rolled his eyes at the stupid question before he hollowed out his cheeks and started to suck. Robert bit his lip to keep himself from screaming because he really didn’t want to be caught by Thomas’ clanmates in such an awkward position.

Thomas pulled off with a knowing smirk but only to drag his tongue teasingly along Robert’s erection, reducing him to needy moans and groans of pleasure. When Thomas took him a second time, now as deep as he could without choking, his orgasm finally released Robert from his misery and he shot his load down his mate’s throat. 

Thomas released his softening cock only when he was sure that Robert was completely spent, a smug look on his face as he stretched out alongside Robert, snuggling close to him in the soft grass. “That was intense. I didn’t mean for things to escalate that quickly.” He looked almost sheepish.

Robert turned to the side, carding his fingers through the wet strands clinging to Thomas’ forehead. “Never apologize for that. At least not when it ends with you giving me a mind-blowing orgasm.”

He kissed Thomas again, licking curiously into his mouth and shuddering at the unfamiliar sensation of tasting himself there. He was barely aware of rolling back on top of Thomas again, not until the hardness pressing against his stomach reminded him that his mate had not gotten his fill yet. Once again he could feel the panther pacing in his mind, wanting to get a taste of their mate so badly. He pulled back from Thomas’ kiss-swollen lips with a grin. “Oh, how much my panther is craving for us to claim you. It’s driving him insane that he has to wait.”

Thomas let out a strangled sound, something between a moan and chuckle. “I would love for you claiming me as well, both of you.”

Robert grinned and he could barely stop his panther from taking charge again. He wondered for a moment how to proceed because his panther was in such desperate need to feel their mate but he was aware that even some shifters were uncomfortable with the idea of being in their human form while their partner was pleasuring them in their animal form. He would have to ask Thomas about that at one point but not now.

And yet Robert didn’t want to deny the panther his wish because Thomas was their mate and he wanted the animal to be there for their very first time as well.

Carefully Robert reached out for the panther inside of him, coaxing him into joining the human at the front, both of their minds melding into a single way of thinking. Robert had never done that before, he hadn't even thought something like this might be possible. But here they were, animal and human sharing the reins of his body, the form human while the panther was the one closing their hand around their mate's arousal.

“Your eyes!” Thomas exclaimed in wonder, clearly able to see the dangerous predator in them but he was cut off when they started to stroke him.

Robert watched in fascination as Thomas squirmed, needing to get more of them touching him. The panther kept a torturously slow rhythm, ignoring Thomas’ pleas to speed up in order to watch their prey fall apart beneath them. Robert had never given a hand job before, preferring to pleasure his lovers with his mouth and his change of mind surprised him. But there was something so intimate about watching the man underneath them slowly reaching his climax, feeling the first drops of precum when they applied more pressure. Thomas’ cock felt like hard steel in their hand and when Robert risked a glance down towards it, they could barely keep themselves from tasting it. Robert shivered in arousal, their own cock already stirring again at the thought and they returned their attention to Thomas’ face, taking in his dilated pupils and the tension in his body. They roared at the sight, the rumbling sound making Thomas meet their hungry gaze and the panther chose this moment to end their ‘hunt’. They swirled their thumb over the head of their mate’s arousal before tightening their grip around the shaft, feeling it pulsate as Thomas came over their hand and stomachs with a muffled scream of pleasure. They kept their eyes firmly trained on Thomas’ face, intent on not missing any detail from the younger man coming down from his height. When Thomas’ eyes focused again, they leaned down to kiss him again but Robert pulled back after a second again. He had to grin at the disappointed whine he received from his mate as well as the panther before doing what the latter had wanted to do all along. 

Robert turned his attention to Thomas’ chest and dropped his head to taste the skin. Thomas’ let out a surprised groan. “What are you doing, Robert?” he asked breathlessly but instead if responding Robert dragged his tongue down towards his mate’s stomach, lapping at the skin and licking up the remnants of Thomas’ orgasm. He could hear Thomas’ sharp intake of breath as the horse shifter realized what he was doing and he felt Thomas’ fingers gripping his hair but not to stop him, instead they pushed his head more firmly against Thomas’ abdomen. “Don’t you dare to stop now!”

Robert kept his cheeky reply inside but complied with his mate’s order, eager to taste his mate again. Thomas started shivering when Robert reached the base of his soft cock but since he made no move to stop him, he figured it was alright to continue. He hurried with his task now, not wanting Thomas’ cock to get too interested again because otherwise they would still be here by noon. Not that Robert would mind the thought but he had duties to see too just like Thomas.

Robert pulled off as soon as he had finished and he allowed Thomas to shift their bodies until they were lying side by side in the grass. The latter shook his head, his eyes shining with awe. “Was that you or the panther?”

“Both of us,” Robert replied instantly. “Though I was the one to clean you up because the panther was not sure whether a human would like that.”

Thomas snorted in amusement. “Liked it is a vast understatement. You were magnificent.” He added in a softer tone. “Both of you.”

He captured Robert’s lips between his own, their kiss slow and full of tenderness. Robert’s heart was filled with warmth and he could feel the bond between him and his mate brimming with love. Which reminded him…

He pulled back hesitantly. “There is something we need to talk about. Something that’s really important to me.”

Thomas frowned. “Sure, what is it?”

“Kuba.”

The single word seemed to tell the other man enough because he let out a heartfelt sigh. “Look, Robert, I know you bonded with him. And I may not like it that he has skin privileges with you when is not part of your pack, but I’m not cruel. I know you can’t sever your bond with him just like that and therefore I won’t ask you to do that. That’s what you were afraid of, isn’t it?”

It was indeed. After Thomas’ calm reaction upon finding out about the bond, he couldn’t say he was completely surprised about his mate’s kindness but he had not taken it for granted. The confirmation soothed him but the tricky part of his confession was still weighing heavy on his mind. “Thank you for being so understanding. But there is more that I need to tell you.” He took a deep breath, hoping his next words wouldn’t mess things up completely. “I kissed Kuba yesterday.”

Thomas tensed but otherwise he didn’t react. When Robert didn’t say anything more, he finally asked. “I appreciate you being honest with me, Robert, but why are you looking at me as though you expect me to slap you across the face for that?”

“Because you are my true mate and I should belong to you only.”

Thomas sat up at that and when Robert followed him, he carefully reached out his hand to stroke his fingers along Robert’s cheek. “You’re right, you should belong to me – only me. And I can’t deny that the thought of you kissing another man makes me feel so jealous that I would very much like to rip their throat out. But this is not just any man we are talking about, it’s Kuba. He risked getting bonded to you by helping you, he risked getting his heart broken. Even if I tried, I couldn’t possibly wish harm to a man who helped my mate staying sane. I don’t blame either of you for acting on the bond you share, I just need to ask how far you are willing to with it?”

Robert stared at him in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

A dark glint of possessiveness appeared in Thomas’ eyes. “I can deal with Kuba having some privileges that should be reserved for me. I can deal with him touching you but I couldn’t deal with you claiming him.”

Robert shook his head, the mere thought of having sex with anybody besides his true mate feeling like a betrayal. “You don’t have to worry about that. I like Kuba and I want to help him, but I don’t think I could possibly have sex with him again. Not when you are my destiny.”

He seemed to have said the right thing because Thomas relaxed again, a relieved smile spreading on his face. “Good, I just wanted to make sure. But you shouldn’t make promises that you can’t keep. Your bond with Kuba is stronger than you are aware of, I can feel it alongside ours.” A thoughtful expression appeared on his face. “Strong bonds are what keep us alive, Robert, they define us. You should not turn your back on such a bond, you or Kuba might need it one day. And I’m aware of that, I just need you to know that I can’t deal with you claiming him as yours because I should be the only one who gets to be yours. But if need ever arises, I could most likely learn to deal with him taking you.”

Robert stared at his mate amazed. “Not that I’m not grateful for this loophole you are offering us, but where exactly is the difference? It is sex and therefore a betrayal to you either way.”

“You’re wrong,” Thomas replied gently. “Yes, it is sex and that’s why I don’t like the idea, but it’s not a betrayal, not to me. If you were the one to claim him, you would make him a part of yours. You would be the one to do it, to mark him. But the other way around, it would be Kuba marking you and I can still tell myself that it is not mutual, that you only offered him your body. That your heart is still reserved for me.”

Thomas’ words confusing to say the least. Robert had to wonder if he and his panther were just too possessive by nature or if their mate had a heart of gold. “I can’t say that I agree with you on this because to me it still is a betrayal when I’m doing this willingly. But I will accept it though I can assure you this will never happen. Kuba will learn to move on – he is too honorable to risk upsetting my relationship with my true mate – and I have you now. I needed Kuba to save my panther from falling into darkness but now that you are here.” He leaned closer until his mate could see only him before stating in a low, determent voice. “You are the light of our life, Thomas. You will save us from the darkness.”

Thomas closed his eyes for a moment as though he was savoring those words in his heart. “You are right, I will. If you let me.”

Robert nodded. “Of course, I will. I have even kept some secrets from my packmates, but you are different. You’re the other half of my soul and there will never be any secrets between us.” He meant that, he wanted Thomas to know about every single shade of him, light and dark. “I will come back from the meeting with the Human Safety Council in three days. And I would like to take you to a place that’s very important to me, it’s a part from my past. Will you let me?”

Thomas swallowed hard. “You don’t have to do this. I can sense how much this pains you.”

“You’re right, it pains me. Because this is the place where the boy Robert died and the Alpha Robert was born. But I want you to know, I want to share my pain with you. Because you’re the only one I can allow myself to be vulnerable around. It’s about time that I allowed someone into the deepest corner of my heart.”

A grateful smile appeared on Thomas’ face. “Then I will come to you in the morning of the fourth day. Besides, you still owe me dinner.”

Robert laughed softly. “Yes, indeed. If you could take a day off from your duties, we could come back and stay at my place until the next day. My packmates tell me that I’m a good cook.”

Thomas raised an eyebrow teasingly. “Are you sure they are not just saying that because you are their Alpha and they want to please you?”

Robert shrugged his shoulders though he couldn’t quite hide his grin. “The only one I want to please is you.” He sealed his mate’s lips with his own again, making a sound of protest when Thomas broke away too fast.

“Not that I don’t like rolling around with you on the grass, my dear panther, but I can sense the rest of my clan nearby. You should leave before things get awkward. Basti and Lukas would have a field day if they found us naked and reeking of sex.”

Robert ducked his head sheepishly when he imagined the teasing his mate would most likely have to go through. “Sorry about that. Do you want me to stay?”

“Of course. But I suppose you have duties as well and I don’t want to keep you from them. I will simply look forward to our date. Now go or you will make the best first impression on my clan ever.”

Robert pulled away then, shifting back into his panther form and circling his mate’s legs, rubbing himself against Thomas and responding to the hand stroking his fur with a low purr before dashing towards the bushes, vanishing from sight right before several of the Nightflower Horses appeared.

Robert was amazed by the calmness and inner peace radiating from the panther, as though the encounter with their mate had calmed the storm in his dark heart. He could sense Xabi and Joshua at the border, most likely wondering about where their Alpha had gone to and without thinking Robert initiated the link with them.

_I’m ready to go now._

The link filled with curiosity from Joshua.  _Have you been with Thomas?_

The panther licked his lips as he thought of their mate.  _How could you tell?_

_Because you feel different. Less reserved, I have never seen you so at ease with the mind link before._ Pride filled Robert, Joshua’s words reminding him what he had seen for a while now; that the young shifter could be an intelligent Alpha one day. Not that Robert would tell him that, the boy was too young and inexperienced for such a boost of ego, he needed to earn such a position first.

He jumped on top of the old tree to his right and finally he could see the two leopards approaching him, the smaller Joshua first. The male following him had a soft look in his eyes as he regarded Robert, his light brown fur glowing bronze in the few rays of sunshine that were coming through the trees. 

Xabi’s mouth twitched and if he had been in his human form, he would perhaps be smiling.  _It’s good to see you like this, my Alpha. I was worried about your fate._

The panther’s tail twitched though Robert shared the sentiment.  _As soon as Thomas and I have completed our mating bond, we will be safe._

Xabi nodded in agreement and Robert pressed his face into his Guardian’s shoulder, allowing him to soak up his Alpha’s touch before turning to Joshua and allowing the youngster to nuzzle his neck. Joshua shivered and pulled back with a disgusted look.  _Eww, you reek of horse and sex._

Robert chuckled. _Sorry, we were just very excited to see each other. I will bathe in the river_ _before we head for the cougars’ territory_. 

As soon as his two packmates had voiced their agreement, the three big cats walked towards the stream of water they could hear in the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't mean for Robert and Thomas to have sex so soon, I swear. I meant for Robert to talk with Erik, but somehow he didn't get very far. *shakes her head*

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave comments and/or kudos. Feedback is what keeps me motivated. :)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [A Warrior's Eyes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14422332) by [Janie94](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janie94/pseuds/Janie94)




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